Non-stop crewed transatlantic race
The Transat Québec Saint-Malo is a high-calibre international sailing event held every four years, bringing together the leading professional ocean-going skippers and crews of multihull and single-hull boats.
The Transat is the only crewed, non-stop transatlantic race sailed from west to east. As such, it provides a bridge between Québec and France, which share hundreds of years of sea-faring adventure. The Transat also stands out an account of the lengthy portion of the race route sailed along the St. Lawrence River, thus requiring skippers and crews to be particularly adroit both technically and tactically. As it is possible to follow race developments from terra firma, the media are also able to provide continuous coverage for a considerable period of time.
The Transat Québec Saint-Malo, an official component of the Fédération Internationale de Course Océanique (FICO)'s world championship for skippers and sponsoring teams, is a race accredited by the main open ocean racing associations and federations. In addition, this race enjoys the support of the cities of Québec and Saint-Malo and of the French, Canadian and Quebec authorities.
An "open" event, the Transat Québec Saint-Malo is run by several classes and types of boats, particularly multihull boats measuring 45 to 60 feet in length and single-hull boats of 45 to 85 feet in length. The Transat being a crewed race, each boat must be manned by at least three persons. The boats themselves rank among the best-performing in the world and are built using the most advance composite materials - from the hull to the rigging and sails. As well, they are of course fitted out with leading-edge communications and GPS systems.
The Transat Québec Saint-Malo has become a "classic" event that is highly respected around the globe, with each edition further consolidating its prestige. In particular, it has crowned such internationally famed skippers as Loïc Caradec (1984), Serge Madec (1988), Laurent Bourgnon (1992), Loïck Peyron (1996), Franck Cammas (2000) and Karine Fauconnier (2004), to name but a few. For all these reasons, the Transat has proven itself to be a genuine ambassador, enhancing the notoriety and stature of the greater Québec City area, Quebec and Canada.
