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Formidable sporting and charitable momentum!

This first ever sporting, charitable and event-based transatlantic, open exclusively to Class40 boats (12.19 metres), will start from Nantes on the 18th of October 2009, with the finish in Yucatan, Mexico.

This new concept for an event will first and foremost serve to support a large number of charities which work on economic, charitable, environmental and social development. This is what motivated Région Pays de la Loire, the General Council for Loire-Atlantique, the city of Nantes and the town of Saint-Nazaire as early as the spring of 2008. The Nantes - Saint-Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be involved as a partner in the form of launching a club of regional companies.

With four months to go, the event has delivered on its promises, and is delighted to announce its first chocolate sponsor : « Monbana » chocolates, who have a long history of involvement in sailing.

The programme of events was also unveiled: in Nantes, there will be a charity and chocolate village, alive with concerts, ethical and charitable fashion shows, as well as exhibitions on Mexico and chocolate. In Saint-Nazaire, the race village, combined with a sustainable organic village, will present the skippers and their boats to the public during the five days leading up to the start of the race to Yucatan.

Mexico, represented yesterday by Jaime Zetina, the Secretary of State for economic development in Yucatan, announced that it will invest more than two million dollars of work to rebuild the breakwater in Progreso (race finish) which was destroyed by a cyclone in 1980. The State of Yucatán, one of the poorest in Mexico, has decided to put in a huge amount of effort to promote its greatest asset: its people and its traditional hospitality. The media will highlight these assets, particularly via national and regional partnerships and through TV, radio and print, which the organisers are finalising.

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What they said:

Joël Batteux - Mayor of Saint-Nazaire and Vice-president of Région Pays de la Loire: « For the first time, we have an event which is both sporting and charitable, which is timely for educating us all about the need for charity with regard to the entire world, given globalisation. The creative and socially-minded Région des Pays de la Loire is therefore delighted to be associated with such an event. Relations with Latin America are also of great importance to Saint-Nazaire, especially since its port was built to establish the first maritime links by liner and ship with this marvellous continent. »

Rachel Bocher - Deputy mayor of Nantes, communities advisor for the city of Nantes: « The merit of this project is combining a charitable challenge with the pleasures of sailing and the delights of chocolate. Moreover, it is an inventive project for the area, which reinforces the warm union between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. A new pontoon will be built in the very near future, thanks to the support of the city of Nantes. The boats racing in the Solidaire du Chocolat will be moored here. »

Philippe Grosvalet - Deputy mayor of Saint-Nazaire and Vice-president of the General Council of Loire Atlantique: « We would like our young people to be involved in this exchange of charity and values. 23 schools in Loire-Atlantique are therefore involved. They will learn new things in their lessons, via communications with a skipper allocated to each school. »

Jaime Zetina - Secretary of State for economic development in Yucatán: « We are very proud of the involvement of Yucatán with the Solidaire du Chocolat, the first ever race between France and Mexico. It's an opportunity to show the richness and beauty of Yucatán to the whole world. The Solidaire du Chocolat will be the symbol of union between our two countries. »

Eric Provost - Deputy mayor of Saint-Nazaire, communities advisor at la CARENE: « In the company of a delegation from Région Pays de la Loire and the town of Saint-Nazaire, we have just had our first political visit to Yucatán. What is striking is the importance that the Solidaire du Chocolat holds for the State of Yucatán and the towns involved. This visit also enabled us to identify the opportunities for future cooperation with the State of Yucatán. The race itself is proving to be a considerable accelerator for development. »

Yves Guattari - CEO of Monbana: « Through this partnership with the Solidaire du Chocolat, I want to demonstrate today that any manufacturer, regardless of size, can support an event beyond simply being a sponsor in a race. To carry the values of a charity, a region, several countries and of chocolate is really something. »

Bernard Duval - Race director: « At 5000 miles, the Solidaire du Chocolat is one of the longest transatlantic races. It can be broken down into three sections: the first part involves crossing the Bay of Biscay, which can be quite hairy as witnessed in the Vendée Globe. Then there are 3500 miles of Atlantic Ocean to cross to the Caribbean, and a gate at Saint Barth. Then lastly the final 1500 miles are an unknown quantity, as it's a route rarely covered in offshore races. »

Bernard Stamm - Co-skipper of the Class40 « Cheminées Poujoulat »: « My sponsor, Cheminées Poujoulat, wanted to continue supporting me, and Bruno Jourdren who has a boat, was looking for a sponsor. So it all came together! Racing with Bruno is always a great pleasure. Normally we finish in the Caribbean, but this time we will have to go further. It will be complicated but fascinating! »

Bruno Jourdren - Skipper of the Class 40 « Cheminées Poujoulat »: « When Damien told me about the race and his idea, I immediately thought of the charity of which I am patron: « Planète enfants ». It is therefore with pleasure that I intend to defend its colours! I know Mexico a little, as I have been there twice on holiday. But to reach the country by sea, in a race, with Bernard Stamm, is a true pleasure. »

Jacques Fournier - President of the Class40 Association and skipper of « Groupe Picoty »: « The values of the Solidaire du Chocolat are in line with those of Class40. Both because we want to participate in a race with a good atmosphere and on technically demanding courses. For the first time, we have a route entirely dedicated to the Class. We won't be forgotten this time, unlike in other races! In any case, all the elements are there for a great event. »

Jean-Edouard Criquioche - Co-skipper of the Class40 « Groupe Picoty » and member of the charity « Les Toiles Enchantées » : « Our charity « Les Toiles Enchantées », headed by Alain Chabat, aims to bring cinema to seriously ill children in hospital long-term. On the 10th of October, we will be at the CHU in Nantes with our sponsor « Groupe Picoty », to put on a cinema show for sick children. In the evening, we will be showing the film « Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. » on an inflatable screen 17 metres across. »

Damien Grimont - Race organiser: « Skippers and their sponsors have signed up in greater numbers than we had expected, and this race will definitely not be just another race. It works for high-level sailors, as shown with seven different nationalities represented, amongst whom are well-known skippers such as Bernard Stamm, Italian Giovanni Soldini, as well as double Olympic medallist Damien Seguin. »

Soizick Angomard - Responsible for events in the Solidaire du Chocolat : « From the 9th to the 11th October 2009, we wish to see Nantes wrapped in the colours of chocolate and Mexico. We are working towards this with restaurants and shopkeepers of Nantes, who will join the adventure by proposing culinary and gastronomic demonstrations, based on the theme of chocolate and Mexico. In Saint-Nazaire, it will be party time too between the 14th and 18th October, with ethical charity events around fair trade. »

Marie Godard - Responsible for charities in the Solidaire du Chocolat : « More than two thirds of the charities which contacted us are local. There are also charities proposing projects for Mexico. The Solidaire du Chocolat is a superb means of supporting such projects. »

Christelle Bervas - Responsible for coordination and communication for the Solidaire du Chocolat : « We have an extraordinary mix of different audiences. This has led to media interest. We are in fact starting to put together media partnerships. We notice that with everyone we meet, there really is enthusiasm and buy-in to the project. »

Damien Seguin - Skipper of the Class40 « Cargill - MTTM » and flying the colours for the charity « Des Pieds et des Mains »: « The charity Des Pieds et des Mains helps sailing clubs to adapt to those with reduced mobility. For the Solidaire du Chocolat, we are going to have a partnership with a sailing school in Yucatán, to which we will donate two boats to bring sailing to handicapped people. »

Bernard Moisy - from the charity « Partage 44 »: « The project we will undertake in terms of the Solidaire du Chocolat, along with our patron, will be to assist fifty foreign women. We are going to help them train as social workers. »

Eric Larroumet - SFCMM (patron of the charity « Partage 44 »): « This kind of event, which is both sporting and charity-driven, enables effort to go into a rather unusual project. This will bring meaning to the company's project, above and beyond the daily routine of work. »

Sylvie Huron - from the charity « Greeters »: « The charity Greeters works on active participation tourism. It enables you to visit a town thanks to its inhabitants. There are 15 Greeters branches in the world. The aim is to put together a project to take on an intern in the Nantes branch, and in the future open a branch in Yucatán. Active participation tourism is charitable tourism. The Solidaire du Chocolat is therefore an excellent opportunity for our community. »

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