May 23, 2019
In Plymouth – "massive disappointment"
So writes the Times. For the very first and, therefore, the oldest transatlantic solo regatta Transat, through the mouth of OC Sport CEO (owning the competition rights) Herve Favre announced that the next – jubilee – transatlantic race of 2020 starts not Brest in the north of Brittany.
"We are very pleased to cooperate with Brest for Transat and together with the city we share a strong desire to continue the development of the race both in 2020 and in the next period.
From such regattas as Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, we saw how much the French public was keen on ocean sailing: we had over two million visitors from a racing village. Starting out in Brest is a real opportunity for our sponsors and teams to benefit from this valuable audience, and we expect that this start will open up many new commercial opportunities that are necessary to maintain the longevity of the race. I would like to thank Plymouth for their support of the regatta up to this point. "
As the saying goes, "thank you, then we ourselves."
"Two years of planning and a tradition spanning almost 60 years of this race have been discarded," said a spokesman for the BBC's television company, adding that Plymouth was "extremely disappointed with this decision."
The final port of the 3500-mile ocean distance does not change – it still remains New York.
158 May 23, 2019 # 9024
Chief Editor
