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2007 was year full of champagne for Michel Desjoyeaux, as in La Trinité-sur-Mer for the 18th Trophée Clairefontaine's podium, with othe faithful champagne sponsor of the event. Photo free of rights for press use, subject to the compulsory mention: Photo by Jean-Marie Liot - SailingOne.
Yesterday, Jean-Marie Nusse, Chairman of the Papeteries de Clairefontaine (Clairefontaine Stationery), handed out on the Morbihan Stand of the Paris International Boat Show the prizes of the 18th Trophée Clairefontaine which was held last September at La Trinité-sur-Mer (Brittany). Five invitations were then made official in anticipation of the 19th edition which will take place between Thursday 4th and Sunday 7th of September 2008, in a yet undefined nautical stadium.
Michel Desjoyeaux won his fourth Trophée Clairefontaine on the 2nd of September, in front of Alinghi Team lead by the Swiss Luc Dubois and Loïck Peyron, ranked third in front of Franck Cammas.
The 19th Trophée Clairefontaine des Champions de Voile will be exceptional as it will be the occasion to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Papeteries de Clairefontaine. Several solutions are still being studied in order to transform this rendez-vous into an unequalled event. It is highly possible that the eight champions and their crew will be invited on the 3rd of September in the afternoon to meet the organisation in a Parisian airport for a surprise destination...
Five champions already invited to the 19th Trophée Clairefontaine:
Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the monohulls Foncia, is invited as titleholder, but also for his numerous victories in 2007 in the Solitaire du Figaro single-handed race, in the Transat Jacques Vabre and his FFVoile Sailor of the Year 2007 title. With such a record, Michel Desjoyeaux subscribed to the Trophée Clairefontaine!
Luc Dubois and Alinghi, Team are also invited to sail again the Runs of the Trophée Clairefontaine. The winner of the America's Cup missed out on victory by just one point. They really want to have the privilege to be the first international team to win the title.
Loïck Peyron, got his invitation for 2008 thanks to his third place on the 2007 podium. Declared objective: an eight victory in this specialty.
Franck Cammas, is also invited for his exceptional 2007 season during which he got hold of numerous prestigious records including the North Atlantic Crossing Record and the 24-hour Record.
Claire Leroy is invited for: her world and European Match Racing titles, her first position in the ISAF women's match racing ranking list (for two years now) and her title as "ISAF Rolex World Sailor" recently awarded by the International Sailing Federation. In France, only Isabelle Autissier was awarded this title in 1995.
There are now only three places left: one for a competitor of the America's Cup and two for 2008 Olympic medallists.
Since it began, in 1990, the Trophée Clairefontaine is the only event in the world to unite champions from different disciplines on a totally equal footing, on spectacular catamarans exclusively designed and used for this purpose, showing that sailing is both varied and unique, in the spirit of the general policy of the Fédération Française de Voile (French Sailing Federation).
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