French sailors are delighted to return

This year 72 boats with 380 competitors left Morlaix Port late afternoon on Wednesday, to arrive in Guernsey yesterday at around noon, after a lack of wind left much of the fleet waiting at St Martin’s Point for a few hours until mooring in the pool off the Crown Pier.

Race rules meant they were not allowed to use their engines.

Guernsey makes up the first stage of the race, and the yachts will stay until Saturday morning when the second stage to Perros-Guirec starts at 7am.

It is Pierre Cavarec’s 16th Tresco Trophy as he captains a crew of six around the course.

He said Guernsey had a special place in his heart and he has become familiar with the island.

‘It’s beautiful, the people are so nice,’ he said.

‘We have a favourite restaurant here, Le Gouffre, they do a magnificent risotto. We are going to go to the beach, relax and then of course we will go to some pubs for a beer.’

Dominique Guyader is a 25-time Tresco competitor. She was relieved to be able to sail here once again following the three-year hiatus.

‘We have not been able to do it for such a long time because of Covid, so we are so happy to be here. It took a while because there was no wind but it is great have made it and be under the sun,’ she said.

‘I love Tresco, it is a competitive race but it there is such a friendly atmosphere.’

Tonight the competitors will go to Castle Cornet for the first stage result ceremony and then head to the Yacht Club.

There will also be a crab party, a tradition where competitors take cooked crustaceans, supplied by Jason Hamon’s Surf and Turf, to eat on their boats.

‘I love the spiders, crabs and lobsters,’ said Mr Cavarec.

Once the fleet has reached Perros-Guirec on Saturday evening, they will stay the night before embarking on the third and final stage back to Morlaix on Sunday morning.