"And I'm telling you, they're not alone. You saw the size of the boats". "And I'm telling you there will be two of them. That's not very many, is it!. Indeed, Sir or Madam is right, there will be two of them. Whether in a Class40 or an Ocean Fifty, the MED MAX Occitanie - Saïdia Resorts will be raced as a double. What never ceases to impress this couple who have come to the quays of Port-Camargue, fascinated by the size of the mainsail or the length of the three floats on the Ocean Fifty, Kosio, preparing for a trip out to sea for his partners.

The MedMax departure village is open for five days of entertainment. The stalls, teepees and tents have been erected, the refreshment stands have already sold out, the scents from the three foodtrucks mingle with the sea spray from the Bay of Aigues-Mortes, and the pétanque court is full to bursting! The public has not been mistaken, crowding the quayside since the morning where the sixteen monohulls and nine multihulls are moored. They will set off at 13:00 on Sunday 29 September to cross the Mediterranean towards Saïdia in Morocco.

Kito de Pavant has succeeded in his gamble, and the enthusiasm is there for all to see, putting a broad smile on the organiser's face. At the microphone, the official announcer, Serge Herbin, has settled in and is commenting on the prologue for the Class40s, on a new course, anchored close to the coast, much to the delight of the spectators massed on the terrace of the harbour master's office. A speaker who goes on and on about the day's packed programme, inviting people to attend one of the many conferences, to come and listen to the evening concert, to taste the seafood at the fishermen's hut or the Sud de France sweets. Or to admire the restoration work carried out on the venerable Catalan boats, or to support the humanitarian work of SOS Méditerranée, whose photo exhibition is on display above the harbour master's office. And to pass on the message that Class40s, too, are racing beasts sailed by renowned skippers.

As for the weather during the race, we'll have to wait and see, as the skippers and their préparateurs are already working on it. In the village, for the moment, the weather is fine, sunny and spring-like. A real Indian summer. Even the sky is doing its bit. What happiness!