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The 4th edition is postponed

The fourth edition of the race " Skippers d’Islande", the departure of which was planned on June 27th, 2009, will not take place this year.

The organizers have just made the decision of an adjournment of the
demonstration, after consultation of all partners: municipalities of Paimpol and Gravelines, Paimpol-Goëlo
association of local authorities, General Council of “Côtes-d'Armor” and Regional Council of Brittany, Embassy
of Iceland in France, Icelandic and French sponsors.

This decision was not easy to set but it was imperative in the course of time. The reasons are multiple
there but quite connected, closely or by far, to the financial crisis which the world knows at present
The particularly difficult situation which crosses in particular the Icelandic Republic naturally weighed
in the balance, in spite of the insurances given by our friends from Iceland to welcome the race in conditions
identical to those of the previous editions.
.
But the crisis also is smelt at home. Number of skippers avid to participate in the race let us know the
difficulties which they meet to find financing. A situation which knows many of the other ocean racing, some
having even had to this year throw in the towel.

The ambition of the association «Skippers d' Islande» is to endow the department of “Côtes-d'Armor”
of a race of scope which is lacking to the department, following the example of the other Breton departments.
The local and territorial authorities included well it which played the game of the partnership; it thus was no
doubt this year to organize a race in the discount.

It stays the question of the adjournment and the date of this one. In 2006, the race “Skippers
d’Islande” leaned on a big classic with «La Route du Rhum” " for which the race towards Iceland was qualifying,
what had pulled in particular a wide participation of 40 feet. An observation which leads the organizers to think
about the periodicity of the race which could passed from three to four years. Contacts were already taken this
way

The historic partners of the association already undertook to maintain even to develop their support
for the company. The French academician Erik Orsenna spontaneously renewed his sponsorship and the
organizers of «Skippers d' Islande» have already begun to work on the fourth edition of the race Paimpol-
Reykjavik-Gravelines-Paimpol; this one could be thus programmed for June, 2010.

Emile POIDEVIN
Président de SKIPPERS D’ISLANDE

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