41st edition of the Tour des Ports de la Manche

The Tour des Ports de la Manche is back for its 41st edition. The race started on 6 July with nearly 100 boats setting off from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in the Manche department. This annual race is organised by the Département de la Manche and the Granville Yacht Club, and links six stages between ports in the Manche and Channel Islands. This year, it was Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue to Cherbourg, Guernsey, Diélette, Barneville-Carteret and Jersey before the finishing port of Granville.
Renowned for its festive atmosphere, the crews are very much a family affair, as Marine Thomines, the race’s press officer, points out: “Every evening, a crew meal is organised in the race’s host ports. The Tour des Ports is designed to be more than just a race and a podium finish”.
Each year, the Tour des Ports brings together around a hundred boats and 650 sailors from the west of France and sometimes from across the Channel. A new feature this year is that the MINI 6.50 sailing boats have joined the race, which is sure to rekindle the sporting spirit!
Unfortunately, the Guernsey leg on 7 July had to be cancelled due to poor weather conditions. The Jersey leg also had to be completed under power.
On 11 July, the 100 yachts arrived in the port of Granville to a warm welcome from Louis Duc, skipper of the last Vendée Globe. See you next year for the 42nd edition!