Nov 17 to 24, 2018 marked the first edition of the Martinique Flying Regatta—a 100% foil event!—held in the Fort-de-France Bay.
Several dozens of hydrofoil boats and their crews took over Fort-de-France Bay for a competition lasting seven days. No less than 30 official regattas were planned, for the 15,000 spectators estimated to line the shores of Martinique.
A New Nautical Rendez-vous in Martinique
You can certainly say this first edition attracted the champions. On the list were Robin Follin, France’s great contender, Noé Delpech and Julien d’Ortoli, Olympic sailors from Marseille, as well as renowned sailors Stefan Jarudd from Sweden and David Holenweg from Switzerland. Some 40 boats and crews of different nationalities were expected for the launch of the event.
On the regatta’s agenda: nautical shows in the bay, a great race along the coastline, and many other highlights throughout the week, including the opening ceremony, activities, tours, meals with the crews, and an awards ceremony.
A Multi-Series Event in Fort-de-France Bay
The Martinique Flying Regatta was organized around seven series of races, based mostly on the different types of hydrofoil design. The entertaining boats participated at the start of the races, like the Kitefoil and Windfoil, as well as solo foilers like the Onefly and Moth. The Flying Phantom participated with two crew members, the Easy to Fly had three, and the GC32 catamaran raced with five members aboard.