The prize-giving ceremony for the fifth edition of the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE took place on Sunday 21 July in La Trinité-sur-Mer, an opportunity to celebrate all the winners and award special trophies in the different categories. It was also an opportunity for the organisers to draw the positive conclusion and look forward to the tenth anniversary of the race between Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and La Trinité-sur-Mer in two years time.
Late morning on Sunday 21 July, the 400-seat Vigie concert hall was packed for the prize-giving ceremony for the fifth DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE. After a word of welcome from Jacques Civilise, founder and organiser of the race, the host of the event, Yves Normand, Mayor of La Trinité-sur-Mer, kicked off the celebration by addressing Jacques Civilise, founder and organiser of the race: “Who would have thought ten years ago, when we chatted across a table in a bar and you told me about organising something out of the ordinary, that we would be here today? You believed in it and you succeeded, well done!”»
Elected representatives from the various partner local authorities of the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE – the towns of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and La Trinité-sur-Mer, the departments of Manche and Morbihan, the Normandy region, the Cotentin council and Auray Quiberon Terre Atlantique – then took to the stage to present the prizes to the winners of the fifth edition. In particular to Maxime Mesnil from Cherbourg, who, with Hugo Feydit on the J99 AxeSail by Issartel/Sarbacane, won the IRC Overall and IRC Double class. In this category, the most represented (28 boats at the start), they beat fellow two-handed crews Rob Craigie/Deborah Fish (Bellino) and 1984 Olympic Flying Dutchman champion, American Jonathan McKee, who was much applauded, and the British sailor Will Harris.
The top three in the other categories were also honoured, in particular the winners Xavier Macaire (Groupe Snef), who managed to retain his Class40 title, Eric de Turckheim (Teasing Machine) in IRC 0, Frans Van Cappelle on J122 Moana, sailed by a 100% mixed Dutch crew, winner in IRC 1, Jean-Lin Flipo (J 99 Yalla !) in IRC 2, Bruno Jacob (ORC50 GDD) in Multi 2000, Laurent Charmy (SL Energies Groupe), the historic first winner in the new ClassC30, Frédéric Mailhos (Akela) in the Large monohull class and Vincent Delaroche on his Classic Yacht Merry Dancer.
These podium finishes reflect the DNA of the race, which is open to all, with many women and many foreigners, as Jacques Civilise explains: “Since the first edition, we’ve wanted the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE to be open to as many as possible, and I’m absolutely delighted to see that a third of this year’s participants are from abroad. This international dimension is truly the marker of this edition, we have dreamt of this from the very start and at each edition we have moved closer to the goal, thanks to the support of the RORC in the UK and the UK Double Handed Offshore Series.»
The latter aims to promote double-handed sailing in Great-Britain and was represented by 15 boats in the IRC Double-handed class. UKDHOS in fact won the Club Trophy, one of the special trophies presented at the end of each edition by the organiser. Other winners included the Jeanneau shipyard (builder’s trophy), the crew of Tigris (Mike O’Donovan), who took the youth trophy, classic yacht Merry Dancer (sports trophy) and Bellino, skippered by Rob Craigie and RORC commodore Deborah Fish, winner of the mixed doubles trophy.
This fifth edition of the DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the race villages in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and La Trinité-sur-Mer, also brought together 11,840 players on Virtual Regatta. The first to finish, answering to the screen name Nico jud PVe, crossed the line after 5 days 15 hours 20 minutes and 29 seconds, while the limited edition DRHEAM-CUP / GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE watch donated by the official timekeeper, B.R.M Chronographes, was won by a player from Vannes, SkipBouv LJDE after a prizedraw between the one hundred first participants.
At the end of this fifth edition, which was a success at sea and on land in keeping with the competition-sharing-party ethos of the race since its beginnings, Jacques Civilise and his team promised a sixth, in July 2026, which will be a double celebration, as it will mark the 10th anniversary of the event and the 80th birthday of its founder!