Author: Maëllie GERNIDOS

As part of the cooperation agreement between La Fabrique de Patrimoines, Jersey Heritage, the Société Jersiaise and Guernsey Museums and Galleries (renewed in 2023), representatives from museums in Jersey and Guernsey visited Normandy from 22 to 25 September. Their counterparts from La Fabrique de Patrimoines and the Normandy region coordinated and accompanied the visit. During their stay, the Anglo-Norman delegation visited numerous sites in Le Havre, including the MuMa André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, the Natural History Museum and the Victor Hugo Museum, a reminder of the unique ties that unite Guernsey and Normandy. In Rouen, they visited the Corderie Vallois, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Opera House, the Musée le Secq des Tournelles and the Musée Beauvoisine. These annual meetings foster exchanges and nurture prospects for cooperation between the islands and the Normandy region.  Exciting cultural projects are on the horizon!

On 19 July, 50 crews took up the challenge of the famous Passage de la Déroute, including 10 crews from the Barneville-Carteret club! The programme included entertainment, refreshment stands and concerts! The race between France and Jersey continues to attract huge crowds! See you next year for the 40th edition!

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!

From 9 to 11 July, three Jersey residents who have recently joined the Franco-British Young Leaders programme attended a seminar organised by the Franco-British Council (FBC) to coincide with the Franco-British summit and the French President’s visit to the UK. This follows the recent signing of a 5-year partnership agreement between the Government of Jersey and the Franco-British Council.

A rich programme awaited them: a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the future of Franco-British relations, a meeting with Demis Hassabis, Nobel Laureate and co-founder of GoogleDeepMind and Arthur Mensch, CEO and founder of MistralA, Thierry Garnier, Kingfisher and Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, Attorney General and President of the Franco-British Society. It was an unforgettable experience for those in attendance, and one that will open up a whole host of new horizons for them to explore.

The Jersey-FBC agreement is set to run until 2030, follows direct engagement with the Franco-British Council in Jersey in 2024, and will provide opportunities for active participation by Islanders in multi-sector Council initiatives in sectors including energy, climate change and sustainability, defence, science, and society. The selection process for the new cohort of Franco-British Young Leaders 2026 will start at the end of the year and two places are reserved for Jersey. If you want to know more about it, do not hesitate to look here.

On 1 July, Lindsay de Sausmarez MP was elected to lead the Executive Government of Guernsey by the Great Electors, with the support of 22 votes from Members of Parliament, beating Mark Helyar MP (11 votes) and Jonathan le Tocq MP (7 votes). Lindsay de Sausmarez is the new head of the Policy and Resources Committee, which represents the executive government of Guernsey and is responsible for coordinating the actions of the States and allocating the budgets of the eight committees. She is the first woman to be elected as First Minister.

From 25 to 27 June, the Ille-et-Vilaine département welcomed Jersey and Guernsey sports officials to sustain and initiate cooperation in various sporting disciplines. The itinerary included meetings with local clubs, visits to sports facilities and social events. There’s plenty of scope for collaboration in athletics, swimming and skateboarding, to name but a few!