Scope reduced due to elusive sponsorships
The Ninth Triskell Cup will take place in Guadeloupe from October 30 to November 1 this year. Last years outing drew 60 boats and more than 600 people to the island.
“Because of the global and local economic crisis, no sponsor so far has dared to invest on us,” said organizer Jean Michel Marziou in August. “Local government’s subventions are not yet voted and therefore, due to the luck of visibility, we will go for a reduced format of the event.”
More details were pending as All at Sea went to press, but Marziou announced that new racing formats would bring racing closer to spectators, and promised “more technical for fans, more simple circuits for regatta beginners.”
Renowned skippers like Gildas Morvan, winner of the Belle Ile en Mer/Marie Galante single-handed transatlantic race, and Jacques Caraes, current technical manager of the famous Figaro solo race, are expected to come from France for the event, Marziou said. He is also looking for a good representation from Caribbean sailors again this year.
“It seems that sailors from Martinique are very motivated. Dates have been modified to allow the younger ones on their Surprise (boats) to compete against our First Class 8,” he said.
More than one-fourth of the competitors in the 2008 Triskell Cup came from either Martinique or Antigua, but the dates were later, November eight to 10, last year.
“Dates are probably not ideal for our friends from Antigua but we hope to see some of them too,” said Marziou. “Nice fights ahead of us!”
For more information, email Organisation@triskellcup.com or visit www.triskellcup.com.
Report prepared from information submitted by the Triskell Cup.
