Gaps dug at this time there are unrecoverable

About 600 boats on the starting line: this is undoubtedly the largest regatta in the world. Each year, Loïck Peyron, Alain Gautier, Ellen McArthur and many other figures of the offshore race to reserve a weekend of June. However, it can hardly promise them to salt spray. Because she left Geneva to turn the brand of the Bouveret, on the other side of Lake Geneva: is the Bol d'Or, who will celebrate in 2006 its sixty-eighth edition (from 15 to June 18). The first do loop in twelve hours. The latter are sometimes double. It is the talent of the victors. Because it must be skilled in the art to retrieve a such wall of sails. When you are able to take advantage of the slightest breath air to advance, so we can go to any other water win victory. In any case, that was conducted Switzerland Ernesto Bertarelli, the 31st America's Cup winner. Like Bernard Stamm, the brothers Bourgnon or Steve Ravussin, as mountain hero of the Route du rhum and the Vendée Globe Challenge.

However, the Lake does not claim exclusive array of champions. Quite the contrary! Many of the participants in the Bol proudly belonging to the Swiss Committee of gastronomy. At night, a means of brush discharge fondue and charcuterie floats on the Lake, above the agglutinated sailing packets. Partner bank Mirabaud (sponsor of the competition since last alongside Rolex), Antonio Palma remembers his two lives of instructor. "I started the Bol d'Or on vessels where it is said:"It will transfer when the sausage will be finished."." And then I went on ships where the skipper told me: "You eat when you've finished the operation." "Also the banker do is not afraid to say that he learned his trade Manager... on the Lake. "As a team member, I gained the conviction that, since strategy is clearly explained, the manoeuvre to be executed without discussing. If the option is not good, it may be detrimental to the final victory, but the best way to lose the race would still discuss the orders.

The quality of the vessels engaged in the Bol d'Or makes mandatory the perfect execution of manoeuvres. Most are unique pieces. It would be appalling to see is spurring these masterpieces of credible national furniture woodworking. This is the case of the "Toucan", kinds of long floating cigar. About high ceiling than the submarine from Pocket of Professor sunflower in the Treasury of Rackham the red, they are so fast, with their disproportionate wing plans, that long, their helmsmen have swept all the most beautiful trophies. In terms of elegance, there especially the 8 meter JI. The baron Edmond de Rothschild had two on the Lake. His son, Benjamin, who took the torch, call affectionately its "pianos", both them their varnish refers to a musical instrument. In regular from the bowels of these deep hulls, ric Devineau, Director of the export in a Parisian society, pursues the comparison. When operating on these so-called metric series, he had the impression of "being in the Interior of a violin". His passion led him to work with a handful of friends for the return of some of the finest specimens in France. Their efforts begin to pay. The wood of the Chair in particular, on the West coast of the island of Noirmoutier.

Monoprints inherited from parents

Summer, a thermal breeze moved to the Northwest and slowly rises in the evening. So that leads to sail very late, at the time where the grazing light irise Belle poque villas. This privileged environment has created a circle (to sail) virtuous: come 50, enthusiasts are a blow to madeleine de Proust browsing monoprints inherited from their parents. Encouraged by the request, naval carpenters reopened sites, in the example of Frédéric Maingret or Jean-Charles Martineau, ensuring the maintenance and restoration of monuments of mahogany. At the time, owners came to also enrich the fleet. The "shark" are now more than 20 to compete among themselves. The "Dragon" reach the dozen, which three first models built in the world 1929. Similarly, the concentration of "6 m" and "8 meters international gauge" is by far the most important of the Atlantic coast. Add to that business men who bring their skills to the success of the cause. Thus, the new President of the circle of the wood of the Chair (CVBC) sailing is another Guy de Panafieu, former CEO of Bull and husband of Françoise. Remittances of trophies are held in the property of Alain Dominique

Perrin, the man who has long embodied Cartier.

If it continues on its course, vendéenne station might eventually claim the Geneva select status. Through its elegant appointments for the month of August, the regattas Lancel Classic. Who knows, may be yachting competitions sponsored by Panerai program The official supplier of waterproof watches for the Italian Navy indeed associated with his name in the chic program of classic sailing regatta. Antibes Port-Mahon in the Balearic Islands, via La Spezia, Italy, calendar of events punctuates the summer in the Mediterranean.

At each stop, dozens of sailboats miraculously saved from oblivion to dock at the places of honour of the ports. Chevaux as for a day of national holiday, the gleaming varnish and brass astiqués, they are reliving the roaring twenties, those from before the crisis of 1929, those time where nothing was too good or too large for their sponsors. Generally rigged in schooners to support maximum wing, these monuments of 30 metres and more have names that sound as invitations to travel: Altair, Jambalaya, Ticonderoga, Blue Leopard... And these splendid hulls sail. Each year, they cross the Atlantic for a health walk, history of the winter sun. At the time, italo-suisse watchmaker he also took the road of the trade winds. Panerai has this year associated with the week of classic sailing from Antigua. The former fief of Admiral Nelson is the hub of the charter of luxury in the Caribbean. Only, each spring, these beautiful units should return to Europe. Then, why not imagine, on the way back, stop in Bay of Bourgneuf

Incomparable Sardinia

However, despite all their qualities, it is a site that all these bodies of water will have when even evil to match, it is that of Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Originally, a piece of barren desert North of the island. But in 1967, his Majesty Aga Khan, with the party that could take, has turned it into resorts for billionaires. Since then, the Yacht Club of Costa Smeralda surpasses anything which is more luxurious in the world yachting. In his twenty-four suites equipped with private terraces, it hosts the gotha of the regatta and Royal families. Juan Carlos of Spain is part of the regulars, the Agnelli family also.

In September, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will sign the apotheosis of the season. Once again, the tactics of these giant couriers in the channel of the Maddalena will be suffocating beauty. It is not too late to register and may be the chance to sail against Lindsay Owen-Jones, skipper owner of Magic Carpet. Only one condition is required for participation: owning a yacht more than twenty metres...

BOX .

Yarn needles (of watches) (gliding): a long history

The weather, time, time that you win: between watches and regattas, the meeting was evident. Each start of race obeys a dramaturgy punctuated by the signal of ten minutes, and then three minutes and, finally, the sixty seconds. That is, if the helmsman binds his fate to his stopwatch. The sailors know: there is rarely a botched start. Gaps dug at this time there are unrecoverable. Except facetious wind coming reshuffle the cards along the way. In this case, it is as in the Gospel: the first are the last. But this is not the law of the kind. Worse, at the start of a race, is to be well positioned, with a good speed, too good just with the risk of "cut" the line a few seconds too soon. It is then necessary to pass behind the fleet left, crossing for good this time the line and start from scratch...

Many of the watchmaking industry have understood the importance of the intimate relationship between the skippers and the fetish in the wrist. This is why they associate their names with prestigious events: Corum for the Admiral's Cup, Cartier for international events of 8MJI ("8 meters international gauge"), Panerai to gatherings of classic yachts in the Mediterranean. And, of course, Rolex, whose name is now next to the biggest competitions in the world: Fastnet, Sydney-Hobart, Giraglia, Middle Sea Race. In 2005, she was partner of not less than twenty-five mythical races. This year, the calendar is lighter, because most of these tests are biennial.

But beyond the precious seconds which, in the end, forge a victory or a defeat, time passing contributes to closer watch and beautiful pleasure. The two objects are designed to challenge the years. Similarly, while it is true that a watch takes the value when it is equipped with "complications", it is permitted to say the same of a sailboat: more it is sophisticated to handle and more prestige is growing...