A few words from the Mayor of Paimpol

« To celebrate the start of the 3rd millennium, in June 2000, a team from Paimpol, well-known for its crazy ideas, launched, against what is normal practice in this field, the idea of a race going north towards Iceland. For the pleasure, for the challenge, and also to re-establish links with a glorious past, the fishermen from Paimpol nicknamed “Les Islandais”, it was adopted straightaway.

Supported by Icelandair, the Icelandic Embassy, this idea took shape, a network was created, it was “love at first” sight by the Icelandic people. Already three times, from Paimpol to Reykjavik, to Akurery, to Grundarfjordur, some amazing flotillas, each time becoming more numerous, have shown that beyond a sportive adventure, a backdrop was created for indefectible networks of friendship, which solders the links between men and women of the sea and moreover people and our regions.

We weren’t the first people to go fishing in Iceland; our friends from the north of France had already started on the East coast of Iceland. That is why from the first edition of the Skippers d'Islande race, Gravelines participated to the challenge and was successful in it.

Today, hand in hand, Paimpol and Gravelines, propose to start this, the fourth formidable human adventure.

It will result in advantages and a lot of pleasure for all communities involved.

I wish to thank and congratulate all of you involved in this project. »

Jean-Paul POCHARD
Mayor of Paimpol