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You want chocolate ? You got chocolate !

11/10/09

La Solidaire du Chocolat. An explosive cocktail of solidarity, festivities and the yacht race from France to Mexico at the race village on the île de Nantes on Saturday evening. Great chefs, volunteers from the associations and the sailors all together. On Sunday, the competitors will be sailing down the estuary to rally Saint Nazaire to move into the race dimension. Tons of enthusiasm to set the ball rolling. Some 10 000 visitors turned up on the quayside by the Galerie des Machines to discover a whole host of things about chocolate and Mexican culture in a fun atmosphere. A colourful day, a festival for the eyes, nose and taste buds !

Chocolate fashion parade : consume without moderation !

On the stage of the Village Solidaire, the festivites got underway on Saturday afternoon with a fashion show entitled « l’histoire du chocolat ». Created and put together by the Nantes based association « Les Petites Mains », the show presented the history of cocoa via silhouettes made by women who are in the process of getting back into a working life, articles designed by Farida Abid. An attractive start in sunny conditions. One which certainly appealed to the visitors.

To your taste buds !

Nine big chefs from the APCAL (the association for the promotion of regional cooking of the Loire and Atlantic regions) activated the public’s taste buds. Throughout the day, in the Village Solidaire, a succession of one hour stints gave each a chance to propose samples of his particular speciality. Suggestions ran from « Saint Jacques marinées au Youzou » by Christophe Fourré (restaurant Le Rive Gauche), the « foie gras mi-cuit et thon cru au vinaigre de chocolat » by Alain Ruffault (restaurant l'Atelier d'Alain)... Difficult to resist ! The offerings were devoured in no time at all ! Profits raised will go to the Mexican associations engaged in the race.

The Belem

A famous three-master whose history and destiny is inextricably linked to Nantes and to chocolate. Impossible for the Belem to pass up the opportunity to salute the initiate of a yacht race whose course runs along one of the former cocoa trade routes. Docked on the Quai de la Fosse opposite the Village Solidaire and open to the public, on Sunday morning, she will be heading up the Grande Parade Solidaire from Nantes to Saint Nazaire as the flagship of the 24-strong fleet of Class 40 monohulls.
The participation of the Belem in the Solidaire du Chocolat has been made possible thanks to the support of her patron, the Caisse d’Epargne Bretagne-Pays de la Loire. Profits from the visits aboard are to be shared between the Fondation Belem and the Mexican associations in the event. On Sunday 18th October, she will be accompanying the fleet in the first few miles of the course to wish them all the best. As a last witness of the cocoa trade route which she sailed many times, the 48 sailors representing ten different nationalities will no doubt be touched by this symbolic demonstration of solidarity to mark the first edition of the Solidaire du Chocolat.

Action contre la Faim. Music, maestro!

The Action contre la Faim charity is well-known in France. Founded in 1979 by a group of French intellectuals (Françoise Giroud, Bernard Henry-Lévy, Guy Sorman…), and a number of doctors, journalists and writers to fight against hunger in the world by leading emergency operations to encourage autonomy for the populations concerned.
The Loire Atlantique delegation of the charity, backed by Système U, are heading up a health and hygiene programme in Haïti. On Saturday, they supported four concerts on the stage of the race village in the shape of Atlantic Country, Dr Robert, Capoeira and Anibara Percu. A fine way to demonstrate their dedication to this transatlantic race along with their support for Pascal Douin and Laurent Mermod on board PHR. « In keeping with the values set out in the charity’s charter,the participation of Action contre la Faim in La Solidaire du Chocolat shows quite how the fight against hunger in the world can take on many forms »,  François Danel, Director of ACF.

Agenda – Programme for Sunday 11th October

8h30 > Chocolatey breakfast at the Village Solidaire
From 10h > Start of the Grande Parade Solidaire : the fleet of Class 40 escorted by the Belem, will be leaving Nantes to rally Saint Nazaire, for the start of the race at 17h on Saunday 18th October over to Progreso in Yucatan.




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