Half Ton Classics Cup 2025

After yesterday’s flooding, when the event marquee ended up looking more like a swimming pool than a bar and had to be closed, the organisers have arranged for a raised floor to be put down in the tent to ensure we don’t have the same problem again.  The staff are hard at work fitting the floor right now and all will be ready for this evening’s post racing drinks and prize giving.

Good morning from Saint-Quay-Portriuex and welcome to our coverage of the first day of racing at the 2014 Half Ton Classics Cup.  The skippers have just attended a briefing and everyone is now heading down to the dock and getting ready to head out to the race course for the first of what is likely to be four races today.

We have a decent breeze here from the north west of around ten knots and the forecast is for it to stay in that direction and gently build through the day up into the mid teens through the day.  Its likely to be overcast for much of the day with the odd shower, but hopefully no heavy rain.

The plan is to get up to four races completed today using a mix of windward/leeward and round the cans inshore courses and our first start is scheduled for 10.00.

For those friends and family spectating in Saint-Quay-Portriuex there will be a live commentary on the South Pier of the Port d’Armor from where you get an excellent view across the main race area.  This afternoon at 14.00 there is also a boat trip on the traditional fishing boat “St Quay” which can be booked via the race desk.

With pre-regatta registration now complete 22 teams have confirmed their entry to the 2014 Half Ton Classics Cup, hosted by the Sport Nautique Saint-Quay-Portrieux (SNSQP). Whilst the entry number might be smaller than in recent years the standard of the fleet is without doubt exceptional and a very closely fought competition is expected.

Bert Janssen, President of the Half Ton Owner’s Association, commented; “The quality of this year’s fleet is quite extraordinary. The boats are looking spectacular and the caliber of the sailors in attendance increases every year. The ongoing success of the Half Ton Classics Cup is something we are extremely proud of and we are delighted that this year we can look forward to such a great competition. We are also delighted to be racing in Saint-Quay-Portrieux and enjoying all the delights that the north coast of Brittany has to offer both afloat and ashore.”

Today the teams spent the day making their final preparations for the regatta including attending a competitors briefing at which François Coudray, Director of SNSQP welcomed the teams and outlined the programme for the week. He then handed over to Laurent Brégeon who presented a technical briefing on the local currents, weather forecasts, navigational hazards such as sandbars and rocks, and explained the various courses to be used during the week.

Formal registration closed at noon today allowing the teams plenty of time for a decent lunch in one of the many great local restaurants, before going afloat mid afternoon for a warm up race at 16.00. Sadly the wind played fast and loose with the fleet as a series of rain showers swept through killing the light breeze. The Race Committee was able to get the race underway, but within a very short time the wind was dropping to sub three knots. The fleet bravely battled on and despite the tricky conditions it soon became clear that it is going to be an extremely close event with plenty of teams in with a good chance of victory. Ultimately the wind died away completely and everyone decided to call it a day.

This evening the crews are enjoying the Opening Ceremony, which is taking place in the club room of the SNSQP. The original plan was to hold the ceremony in the beautifully decorated marque of the Half Ton Classics Cup Regatta Village, however, the weather is definitely not our friend today and a torrential downpour created a lake in the middle of the floor just prior to kick off, so our resourceful organisers quickly transferred everything to higher ground! Despite the grey weather everyone’s mood remained extremely buoyant as Eric Blanchot, President of SNSQP, and Thierry Simelière, Mayor of Saint-Quay-Portrieux welcomed the teams and made a special presentation of a unique glass of friendship commemorating the regatta to every crew member.

Tomorrow’s opening race is scheduled to start at 10.00 and there will be a competitors’ briefing at 08.30 in the regatta village. The forecast is for northwesterly winds of 10-18 knots with overcast skies and a few showers so whilst suntans might not be on the agenda some great racing should be. Up to four races will be sailed tomorrow with a mixture of windward leeward and round the cans racing. The regatta continues until Friday 11 July with racing each day including a 25-mile offshore race on Wednesday. Racing is being run under IRC handicapping to allow for the fact that the regatta incorporates Half Tonners of many different generations (please note this corrects inaccurate information given in yesterday’s press release).

The complete refusal of the wind to cooperate means that the Half Ton Classics Cup warm up race has been abandoned and the boats are on their way home.

Sadly the wind is refusing to return for the Half Ton Classics Cup warm up race and frankly its now more a warm up drift than a race.

Almost 50 minutes in and the last boat is just rounding the first windward mark. The leaders are about half way down the run and boats are pointing at all sorts of angles as they try to find some forward momentum. It looks like a couple of boats are heading back in.

It looks like we spoke too soon when we said the breeze looked promising for the tune up race. They are underway but the showers seem to have driven the breeze off and the boats are barely ghosting their way up the first beat.

The weather is very unsettled but the threat of absolutely no wind hasn’t materialised so far and the fleet has gone afloat for a warm up race which is due to get underway at 16.00.  Right now the skies are overcast and a series of heavy showers are passing through.  The wind is flicking around all over the show as each shower comes through but at least we have some wind.  Fingers crossed it hangs around long enough to get the race completed.

The organisers have just completed a competitors briefing where they paid particular attention to the navigation and meteorology issues the teams are likely to be facing during the coming week.  The Cote d’Armor is one of the most spectacular coastlines in France but it comes with the added attraction of thousands of offshore rocks and reefs so accurate navigation will be essential.

Saint Quay Portrieux – 7 July 2014

An international sporting event
From 7-11 July the 2014 edition of the Half Ton Classics Cup will take place in Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Brittany, France. More than 200 sailors are expected to come to the start line! France, Britain and Belgium will be present, but also teams from Finland and Ireland… There will be training races on Monday 7 July and the main championship racing will run from 8 au 11 July, when the overall results will be announced and the prizes presented at the closing ceremony.

The courses will be a mixture of windward/leeward and coastal courses. The boats will be racing under IRC handicap to allow for the fact that the fleet incorporates half toners from various different eras.

Note: on the afternoon of Tuesday 8 July, the racing will be visible from the southern breakwater of the Port d’Armor and thre will be a commentary on the racing. On the same day the SNSM (French lifeboat service) and the Office of Maritime Affaires will be holding an awareness day to inform visitors about safety at sea; the aim of the day being information and prevention. Finally on Friday 11 July, from 21.00pm in the Jardins du Port, there will be a special final night concert with the will known sea shanty group Avis de Grand Frais in the Festival Place aux Artistes.

A new look for the Sport Nautique de Saint-Quay-Portrieux (SNSQP)
François Coudray, director of SNSQP, emphasises the fact that this is a new beginning for the club: “Until last year, we organised mainly match races, consisting of successive duels. But with this type of racing now being ‘out’ of the Olympic competitions, we decided to take a new direction and we are now focusing on fleet regattas. And the 2014 edition of the Half Ton Classics Cup is a great opportunity for us to add a new dimension.”

A real team effort
For this edition of the Half Ton Classics Cup, there is a true team spirit between the SNSQP, the town of Saint-Quay-Portrieux, and the commercial partners, Casino and Port d’Armor,… who have been working together for many months to offer participants and spectators a great event. Partnerships with local companies have been created to welcome the competitors and their families and spectators, there is strong involvement from the community, especially in terms of communication to give this race the profile it deserves, and, of course, there is the flawless organisation fo the SNSQP and its director François Coudray.

From left to right : Alain Sabouraud (General Secretary, SNSQP), Géraldine Le Parc (Crêperie du Port), Serge Lacroix (Director of the Tourism Office of Saint-Quay-Portrieux), Jacques Burlot (Race Committee, SNSQP), Karine Georgel (Illustrator), Thierry Simelière (Mayor of Saint-Quay-Portrieux), Baptiste (Restaurant La Passerelle), Jonathan Touyer (SNSQP), Sophie Millon (Restaurant Le Victoria), Lucie Lemarchand (Restaurant l’Atypic), Erwan Barbey-Chariou (Deputy Mayor of Saint-Quay-Portrieux), Marie-Thérèse Bertheriaux (Restaurant La Passerelle), Jean-Michel Gaigné (Director of Port d’Armor), François Coudray (Directeur of SNSQP).

Where the beautiful people gather
There will be beautiful people on the waterfront of Saint-Quay-Portrieux this summer. Not only will there be the winners of the 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2013 editions, Superhero (Andrieu 1988), Concorde (Berret 1989), Per Elisa (Ceccarelli 1992) but the very last three Halfs built will be in attendance, as well as the mythical 1978 Berret design Brittany Drizzle. Also of note is the presence of Peter Morton, who has successfully resuscitated Swuzzlebubble (Farr 1977), which was a near wreck less than a year ago and has just arrived from Britain by ferry.

A family atmosphere
Although the competitors constantly strive for superiority on the racecourse, there is above all a convivial and family friendly atmosphere surrounding the regatta. Launched in 2003, the Half Ton Classics Cup has played a key role in the revival of interest in IOR (International Offshore Rule) boats, and in particular the famous tonners – quarter ton, half ton, three quarter ton and also the one tonners. The philosophy of the founders, which is to maintain the spirit of yesteryear, making minimal or no changes to the original plans, has certainly helped to preserve many halftonners in a condition as close as possible to that at the date of their original launch. The coming together of race boats and veteran sailors from the last century along with sharp young crews, has the distinction of bringing together a tasty and fascinating mix of amateur sailors and mythical prototypes which is trans-generational in all its diversity. Although the races are hotly contested, its not the final victory on the water that matters most but the Half Ton True Spirit Trophy, which is the most coveted of the trophies and is awarded by the participants and organisers to the boat which most embodies the “spirit of the halfs”. New for this year is the introduction of the Infinity Cup which will be awarded to the first boat crewed entirely by amateur sailors.

For the duration of the event there will be a dedicated exhibition space installed on L’esplanade du Nouveau Port.

For further information please visit www.halftonclasseurope.net

English language event updates will be available from the Half Ton Classics Cup Blog and Facebook.

Bert Janssen
Half Ton Classics Class
Email info@halftonclasseurope.net
Tel +32472982272

Fiona Brown
English Press Officer – Half Ton Classics Cup
E-mail fiona.brown@fionabrown.com
Tel +44 (0)7711 718470

Benjamin Godefroid
French Press Officer – Half Ton Classics Cup
Email benjamingodefroid@gmail.com
Tel +33 (0)6 13 68 20 87

François Coudray
Sport Nautique de Saint-Quay-Portrieux (SNSQP)
Email sport-nautique-st-quay@wanadoo.fr
Tel 06 72 98 04 52
http://snsqp.weebly.com

Good morning from Saint-Quay-Portriuex where final preparations are underway for the competitors at the 2014 Half Ton Classics Cup.  The last of the boats are still making their way towards the north Brittany coast and are expected arrived during the day today.

Those already on site are finalising their registration and measurement arrangements and there’s a great buzz around the Port d’Armor as the teams enjoy a wonderful sunny morning.  A practise race is planned for 16.00 this afternoon, although with a forecast for very light airs later today it may or may not be possible to run this.  Stand by for more information as we get it.

Stay tuned for further information!