Two classes, two courses

While the Class40s (12.19-meter-long monohulls) and the Ocean Fifties (15.24-meter-long multihulls) will set off together on September 29 from Port Camargue, the former will set out on a course of around 1080 miles, compared with 1500 miles for the faster ClassFifties. The aim is to arrive together at Saïdia Resorts, on Morocco's northeast coast, on Friday September 4. But before an unforgettable weekend of festivities, under the sign of warm Moroccan hospitality, the crews will have to criss-cross the Mediterranean, passing through the spectacular Mouths of Bonifacio, the mythical Aeolian Islands, the paradisiacal Balearic archipelago and the charming Zaffarine Islands.

Taking ocean racing off the beaten track

From an idea launched a year ago, the MED MAX I Occitanie - Saïdia Resorts is now taking shape with the publication of the notice of race and the opening of registration [ accessible via the skipper area ]. We've put together all the ingredients to build a great Mediterranean ocean race, one that we want to be part of over the long term, and one that will enable us to tell some great stories," explains Kito de Pavant, in partnership with Christophe Carniel, a major player in the sport in France and internationally. I've learned a lot from taking part in a lot of events over the past 40 years. We're trying to take the best of all these experiences, add new ideas from elsewhere, and do something of our own. It's a big gamble, but we like things that aren't easy." With a great deal of enthusiasm and the desire to bring together and welcome all those involved in the race in the best possible way, Kito has just one idea in mind: "that they be happy and leave with the desire to come back next time".

Linking

Linking continents... That's the promise of the MED MAX I Occitanie - Saïdia Resorts, whose skippers will set off from the northern shore of the Mediterranean to reach its southern shore. Five days of double-handed sailing, but also a journey between two continents, Europe and Africa, two countries, France and Morocco, two regions, Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée and Oriental, two towns, Le Grau du Roi and Saïdia. That's really the leitmotif of our organization," says Kito de Pavant. Our sport is above all about travelling by boat, optimizing trajectories to get from one country to another, from one shore to another, as quickly as possible", with a few course constraints. The MED MAX I Occitanie - Saïdia Resorts transfers the very principle of transatlantic racing to a different body of water, the Mediterranean, which offers many possibilities. "I think the skippers are going to be surprised by the welcome they'll receive in Morocco, in a country that knows nothing about ocean racing. They're going to discover all the qualities of a people and a country that have a lot to offer. It's going to be a great party.