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In the foreground from left to right: Nicolas Charbonnier ; Claire Leroy ; Rita Barberá Nollá, Valencia Mayor and Loïck Peyron. In the background from left to right: Jean-Pierre Dick ; Fernando León ; Michel Desjoyeaux ; Ed Baird et Luc Dubois. Photo Pepe Sapena / Ayuntamiento de Valencia. The eight international sailing stars invited to race the nineteen edition of the Trophée Clairefontaine of Sailing Champions arrived in Valencia (Spain) and are getting ready to fight on equal footing in the Marina Real Juan Carlos 1st, i.e. the Harbour that hosted the 2007 America's Cup competitors bases and more recently the new F1 European Grand Prix. The Trophée Clairefontaine de Valencia will be raced on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September on this world-famous natural Sailing Stadium.
Rita Barberá Nollá, Valencia Mayor, welcomed the crews and the presidents of the French and Spanish Sailing Federations in the City Hall at 1.30pm at their arrival on the Valencian soil: "Valencia is a forward-looking city, building its development on Culture and on Sport. Therefore, it was natural to host such an exceptional event reuniting some of the best sailing champions, including the winner of the last America's Cup raced here. This Trophée Clairefontaine de Valencia is a true nautical show right in the middle of the city, close to the public and free of access. I'm glad that each start will be preceded by an operatic aria so as to reunite Culture and Elite Sport in a single space for the pleasure of the public".
Two crews from Alinghi, winner of the last America’s Cup, will welcome the six other champions on their Sailing Stadium, including Michel Desjoyeaux who won his fourth Trophée Clairefontaine last September.
The Alinghi Black crew is composed of the American Ed Baird, helmsman of Alinghi’s Class America at the time of the victory of the Team in the 2007 America’s Cup. Ed Baird has also won the 95 America’s Cup with the New Zealander Team and eight world titles in different sailing categories. Last year, Ed Baird was awarded the ultimate title: "ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2007".
The Swiss Alinghi Red crew is the crew who finished second of the 2007 Trophée Clairefontaine at La Trinité-sur-Mer (France): Luc Dubois at the helm, Pierre-Yves Jorand tactician and mainsheet trimmer and Yves Detrey bowman.
The Frenchman Loïck Peyron, seven times winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine and third of the 2007 edition, only two points behind the Swiss from Team Alinghi, will also be part of this travel to Spain which will celebrate the Papeteries de Clairefontaine (Clairefontaine Stationary) one hundred and fifty anniversary.
Fernando León, Tornado Olympic Gold medallist in Atlanta, will represent Spain. Fernando León already participated to the Trophée Clairefontaine three times, twice as crew man of the double Gold medallist Theresa Zabell, Patron of this Trophée Clairefontaine de Valencia, and once as champion (1998 - 3rd).
The Frenchman Jean-Pierre Dick was part of the 2006 Trophée Clairefontaine after his double victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre. This year, he is invited after his recent victory in the Barcelona World Race, the double-handed round-the-world race from Barcelona to Barcelona round the three capes.
The Frenchwoman Claire Leroy is invited for the first time to this event bringing together international sailing stars thanks to her World and European Match Racing titles, and her first position in the Women Match Racing World Ranking list (for two years now) and for her "2007 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year " title.
The Frenchman Nicolas Charbonnier, who has just won a Bronze medal in 470 in the Beijing Olympic Games with his crew Olivier Bausset, is the eighth guest of this Spanish event. It is the first time that he joins this exclusive club composed of all the champions invited to the Trophée Clairefontaine of Sailing Champions.
This afternoon, the eight champions took possession of their catamarans and have started tacking on the Sailing Stadium of Valencia. Tomorrow, eight legs are scheduled for the Warm-up Rhodia between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. The results of this warm-up won't be taken into account for the final ranking, but it will give a good idea of what is going to happen during the week end on the water. The competition will officially start at 12.00pm on Saturday for the Challenge Quo Vadis and the Copa Valencia Yacht Base. It will end on Sunday at 3.00pm with the podium in front of the Veles & Vents building, symbol of the 2007 America’s Cup.
Since its origins, in 1990, the Trophée Clairefontaine is the unique event in the world uniting champions from the different international sailing fields, strictly on equal footing, on spectacular sailing boats exclusively designed and used for that purpose (7.65m catamarans).
Valencia, city of art and tradition, is famous for having hosted the 2007 America’s Cup. It is the location of a new F1 European Grand Prix of which the first edition was successfully raced on Sunday 24 August 2008. Valencia is also the host city chosen for the sailing competitions for Madrid 2016 Olympic Games Candidature.
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