Ulysse Nardin’s Post

I am still astonished by the importance French sport fans give to offshore sailing. Today the Transatlantic Race (one of the last two qualifiers for the magic Vendée Globe race) starts in Lorient and requires the solo skippers to navigate their boats single handed to New York. Of course public TV is covering the start live. In addition hundreds of thousands of fans took the opportunity and met the skippers live in the marina during the open dock week before the race. The race is famous for its hard conditions, as the boats will most likely face winds from the front, which means that conditions are much more demanding than the classic conditions where the wind usually comes rather from the back than from the front and which are more common for the Vendée Globe. If you want to know more on how social media impacted what it takes to successfully master a career in offshore racing, check my latest analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eP4rpwN6

The Regatta : Les Sables D'Olonne - The Azores - departure today at 13h To follow up in live : https://lnkd.in/eDNcDAr3 General Presentation The "Les Sables d'Olonne - The Azores - Les Sables" (SAS) regatta is a solo transatlantic race, first held in 2006. This race is a key event for skippers of the Mini 6.50 class supported by Sames. At Sames, we are committed to sustainability and environmental protection. Sponsoring Ramon Ribera in this regatta reflects our support for sailing, an eco-friendly form of marine transport. Course and Proceedings The regatta starts in Les Sables d'Olonne. Competitors sail to Horta, on the island of Faial in the Azores archipelago, before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne. The course covers approximately 2540 nautical miles and is divided into two stages: 1. **Stage 1: Les Sables d'Olonne to Horta** - Skippers cover around 1270 nautical miles, facing the varied conditions of the North Atlantic. 2. **Stage 2: Horta to Les Sables d'Olonne** - After a short rest and possible repairs in Horta, sailors set off again for another 1270 nautical miles journey back to the Vendée coast. Boats and Participants The regatta is open to Mini 6.50 class boats, which are 6.50-meter monohull sailboats. These boats are known for their small size, lightness, and high speeds, making the race particularly demanding and technical. Participants are solo skippers. The regatta attracts sailors from various nationalities, including professional mariners and passionate amateurs eager to take on the Atlantic. Challenges and Stakes The regatta presents numerous challenges: - **Weather Conditions**: Skippers must navigate through often challenging weather conditions, including storms and strong winds. - **Navigation and Strategy**: The race requires excellent navigation and strategic skills to optimize trajectories and performance. - **Solitude and Resilience**: For solo participants, managing solitude and fatigue is crucial. They must remain vigilant and performant throughout the crossing. Importance of the Race The Les Sables d'Olonne - The Azores regatta is an important milestone in the career of Mini class skippers. It often serves as preparation for longer and more demanding races, such as the Mini Transat. Moreover, it promotes solo sailing and highlights the skill and determination of sailors. Conclusion The Les Sables d'Olonne - The Azores - Les Sables race is a test of endurance and skill, celebrating the spirit of adventure and maritime excellence. It is an iconic regatta that continues to attract and challenge the world's best sailors. #SAMES #LesSablesLesAçoresLesSables #Sailing #Sponsorship #Environment #Sustainability #marinetransport

On the way to his second Tour de France victory last year, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard was facing tough questions regarding his pace before he even arrived in Paris. How was he going so fast? How was it possible to be over seven minutes ahead of a cyclist of Tadej Pogačar's caliber? Some reporters even explicitly asked: "Are you cheating?". In 2023, Vingegaard completed the grueling 3-week, 3,401 kilometer competition at an average speed of 41.4 km/h (25.574 mph). Given cycling's deservedly bad reputation, it is perhaps understandable that exceptional performances like that still raise suspicions. As Statista's Felix Richter shows in the chart below, the Tour de France has not slowed down since the doping-infested years of the early 2000s. Whether that's due to super-fast carbon bikes, favorable routing or the use of performance-enhancing substances is a question the sport is not yet fully able to answer.

Why is the line honors in sailing so valuable? Line honors in sailing, like Comanche claiming the Rolex Sydney Hobart line honors, represent more than just a race result. It's about showcasing the pinnacle of performance, strategy, and teamwork. Securing line honors means being the first yacht to cross the finish line, a feat that requires impeccable navigation, sail handling, and tactical decision-making. For Comanche, it's a testament to their cutting-edge design, skilled crew, and relentless pursuit of speed. Beyond the trophy, line honors embody the spirit of competition and excellence in the world of sailing. https://lnkd.in/eXaw_cXY

"The Transat Québec St-Malo was a really fun race. There were three main parts to it - the exit of Le Saint-Laurent river which felt like a Figaro race... pretty intense, lots of decisions, current, the local wind effect - it was really challenging and really interesting with a backdrop of beautiful scenery.⛵️ "Then the transatlantic crossing in the next major part of the race. Very variable conditions with the weather changing a lot from one grib file to the next - you had to be really decisive with the decision making and then try and define your own logic in how you thought the weather was going to play out. It was pretty interesting for the whole fleet.🗺 "We made the option to dive south which was a bit longer in distance travelled, but we felt like it was a lower-risk option. It worked out well for us in the end, so we were really happy. We had quite a few challenges crossing the Atlantic. We had some technical issues, the major one was breaking a rudder, which meant we had to switch the rudder from side to side during the race to be able to spend time on the other tack. That was quite a big decision for us internally - to decide what to do and how to manage that. We managed to find a solution that worked for us, but obviously when we did that - we were never sure if we'd be able to finish the race. So we were obviously really happy to come out on top.🤩 "The third part of the race was entering the English Channel. The fleet compressed as we approached the European shoreline and it was back into intense racing again, 24 hours of light winds, local effects, current, making the right decisions. We had to sail the boat very differently because we were limping on only one rudder. That was a challenging aspect for us. Right up until the last five miles we weren't sure how we would deal with it, but then we had a nice finish into the end and a brilliant arrival into St Malo. A really fun race, I got on really well with the guys and I was really chuffed to get this result - a transatlantic race win in the Class 40 under my belt. I had a lot of fun, and learnt a lot from this type of boat racing in a really high standard of fleet.🙌 "Next for me, I'm still working with Clarisse Crémer and we're in preparation for her Vendée Globe. The other boat's currently in the workshop so right now it's the planning phase, getting all the technical equipment up to standard service, new sails - so I'm mainly working on that side of stuff for her, and the boat will be launched in September.⛵️ "So now it's time for me to take a bit of rest and I potentially have another big announcement to make, sometime in the coming month. So stay tuned!"😲 #Class40 #TransatQSM #Sail #Sailing

Ski season is underway and we’re thinking it may well be time for a trip to the slopes ahead of Spring. For challenging slopes we opt for Verbier, a ski season must is, of course, Courchevel and for amenities and powdery snow, St. Anton is always a favourite. Outside of Europe, Aspen and Vail never let us down. The world-class skiing and enough shopping keep us happy. Where do you like to go for your ski trips? Let us know in the comments below 👇 #concierge #conciergeservice #conciergetravel #exclusive #luxuryconcierge #luxurytravel #privatechef #privateconcierge #vipconcierge #ascot #berkshire #surrey #privatevent #planner #luxurypa #luxury #luxurylifestyle

Discover the #transtat Living Labs: Kranjska Gora is located in the northwestern part of Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders, in the Julian Alps of Upper Carniola. The ski resort includes 14 ski lifts, 20 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding and 40 km of cross-country skiing tracks. Sem Franci Petek, manager of the Planica Nordic Centre, talks about the added values brought by the stakeholder involvement process and the identified best practices, after one year of TranStat project and after the second international workshop held in Valmalenco! Interreg Alpine Space EUSALP INRAE UNIMONT (Università della Montagna) - Università degli Studi di Milano Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften alpS GmbH ecoplus. Niederösterreichs Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH Université Grenoble Alpes Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regione Lombardia University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons ZRC SAZU – Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Razvojna agencija Zgornje Gorenjske #climatechange #SustainableTransition #sustainabletourism #alpinespace #Interreg

The races are on and it is called Formula 1 in Sailing ⛵️ Yesterday the first regattas in the match-race format for the America's Cup startet. The longest standing sports trophy is up for grab again. There could be plenty written about the history of this cup, of the particular challenge format and the dramas that evolved in every event. Some might even ask, why as a Swiss you are interested in ocean going sailing? Since a kid I have spent a significant amount of my holidays on boats, but this post is about the transformation the crew on such a boat has taken. The attached article from a cycling magazine best describes this. Instead of trimming the sails by wrenches powered by arms, these yachts now use hydraulic trimming. But where to get the power from, if you only have wind, sun, and humans as resources? This was the rise of the Cyclors. Pedalling to generate hydraulic power. A great example of a radical change in how you do business, how to re-structure your teams and exploit a niche. First race - first win! Certainly I am with Team Alinghi Red Bull Racing - Allez les Suisse! 🇨🇭 https://lnkd.in/gX9zRysj

What Happens in Olympic Sailing if There is No Wind? Explore how unpredictable wind conditions can impact Olympic sailing events, leading to delays and tests of adaptability for competitors. #FOILINGnews #Marseille #nowind #OlympicGames #Paris2024 #Sailing #WorldSailing

Choosing the next location of a championship race is usually one of the hardest decisions we have, but taking the 2024 European Trail Run Champs to the peaks of the Pyrenees was one that came easy, and for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are the trails themselves. These are absolutely world-class trails and need no introduction to the global trail run community. The valleys and peaks that surround the small village of Arinsal, Andorra, are nothing short of an endless theatre for mountain enthusiasts, and for decades trail runners have been making the pilgrimage to experience the legendary trails of the Pyrenees. Then there is the organising partner, OCISPORT, who have for 2 decades been producing high-level running events and large-format festivals, and will undoubtedly deliver an exceptional race experience for every athlete on the starting line. In 2023 the event joined the XTERRA Trail Run World series for the first time and it was immediately clear that the team was able to tick every box needed for a championship-level event. Rest assured, this team will stop at nothing to make the European Trail Run Champs one of the biggest events of the 2024 season. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the community. This event comes with a significant history and growing community behind it. Now in the second year that the event has grown to become the all-inclusive Mountain Festival Comapedrosa, this is not just a race event but rather a festival designed to celebrate all the values XTERRA holds dear: nature, community, adventure, and challenge. This combination made it an easy choice, and the countdown to Europe’s biggest trail run event of 2024 has officially begun. More details in the announcement below, and we hope to see you there when the adventure begins. https://lnkd.in/g28e-MP7 #xterraplanet #weplayweprotect