No question therefore for Groupama to leave the ship

Eurolarge Innovation, association based in Lorient accompanying the sector of the offshore race, brought together a few days ago in Rennes a sponsoring 100 to take the pulse of a sector "in perpetual motion and aujourd'hui very marked by contrary winds", according to these professionals. The crisis spares not the sport, with the announced withdrawal of sponsors such as Aviva or Generali. Knowledgeable observers say that he could leave the veil after the next edition of the Jacques Vabre, which has not been officially confirmed. Also, smaller sponsors, such as Delta Dore, has bag to the ground. Side races, several events have been cancelled, Skippers of Iceland like, and a competition as the Istanbul Europa Race, contested this summer with the last Vendée Globe monohulls, has gone completely unnoticed - the race was won by Michel Desjoyeaux on "Foncia. A very limited number of new boats in construction in addition to this rather bleak atmosphere. It is the desert 60-feet and 50 feet, one or two monohulls are only. For the next edition of the road of rum, scheduled a year out of Saint-Malo, not a command of nine boat is registered to date!

These news are what put in Bern the morale of the sailors and the offshore race enthusiasts, but there are still enthusiastic sponsors. This is the case of Frédérique Granado, the direction of the communication of Groupama. "On the 57 races disputed by our 3 trimarans, it displays 29 victories and 2 Ocean records, she says." Our commitment in the veil has twelve years of age and has contributed to advance the image of the group while modernizing the brand. "No question, therefore, for Groupama to leave the ship. The 10 million euros committed each year in the team led by Franck Cammas are also relative to the 14 annual turnover EUR billion of the group.

French specificity

Much less ambitious financially, the investment by the company of crêpes Whaou (30 million euros of turnover) in sailing is nevertheless considered very promising. We spend each year 600,000 euros in sponsorship, a quarter of our advertising budget and communication", says Bertrand Chambert-Loir, Norac, the owner of Whaou group. The benefits are considered very satisfactory, during each of the races in which participates the skipper Saint-Malo Franck - Yves Escoffier, significant media coverage, estimated on average the equivalent of 700,000 euros of advertising contracts.

Because the public is still very amateur marine chills. "The last Vendée Globe, a million visitors came to the village les Sables-D'olonne and 213 million pages have been seen on the Web site, says Christophe Baudry, Director of communication of the race." But we must still give sponsors more services to make them more readable. "It is also for the organizers to"clarify the landscape with a harmonization of calendars", to avoid duplicates. Finally, the offshore race remains very French specificity "that should internationalize", concluded participants at the day of Eurolarge Innovation. Two wishes for a long time for the stakeholders in the sector. In sailing, the gauges are many (Figaro, unibody of 50 and 60 feet, maximulticoques, class America for the best known) and courses very different (transatlantiques, tours of the world, multiple records, solo attempts, two or crew, etc.). Outside the "classic" that have become the Vendée Globe, the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Route du rhum, the Solitaire "Figaro", Cup of America and a few tentatives of records, few events are expected by the public.