– The Grand Pavois Organisation resumes organisation of the Rallye des Iles du Soleil after the pandemic, selecting Marina La Palma once again to host the start of this consolidated event.
All sailors share one dream: crossing the Atlantic under sail with family or friends. The Grand Pavois Organisation endeavours to make this dream come true and, since 2017, has been offering a safe and supervised Atlantic crossing, open to monohulls and multihulls over 10m LOA, with a final destination of Marie-Galante in Guadeloupe. Under the organisation of the Grand Pavois Organisation, the Rallye des Iles du Soleil 2022 retains its two-part format: a first leg between the island of La Palma and the island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, followed by a second leg between Mindelo and the bay of Saint-Louis on the island of Marie-Galante in Guadeloupe. The event is by no means a competition, but more about sharing a human adventure, both individually and in groups, in concordance with the following values: safety, conviviality, discovery and passion.
This is already the fourth edition of the Rallye Iles du Soleil and the 28th of October marked the third time that Marina La Palma hosted the start for the thirty or so boats taking part.
During the preparation week for the crossing, the sailors had the opportunity to get to know the island, by means of various excursions promoted by the Calero Marinas team and enjoy the local gastronomy that La Palma has to offer.
The event presentation, held in Marina La Palma on Wednesday 26th October, was attended by Guillermo Cabrera, Manager of Marina La Palma, Alain Pochón, President of the Grand Pavois Organisation, Juan José Neris, Mayor of Santa Cruz de La Palma and Raul Camacho, Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo de La Palma.
Guillermo Cabrera, spoke first and thanked Grand Pavois Organisation for placing their trust in Marina La Palma once more to host the start of this spectacular event, which serves as a showcase for La Palma and more specifically for Santa Cruz de La Palma as a first-class nautical destination. He also thanked the collaboration and support of the public authorities, as well as the Real Nuevo Club Náutico de Santa Cruz de La Palma who played an essential role in the success of the event.
The president of the Real Nuevo Club Náutico de Santa Cruz de La Palma, José Jaubert, thanked the organisers for continuing to choose La Palma for their rally, describing how the success in attracting such key international sailing events such as the Mini Transat and the Rallye Iles du Soleil further cemented the island’s position as a destination for nautical sports.
Alain Pochon, president of the Grand Pavois Organisation, described his satisfaction with the venue for the rally’s third edition, saying: “It is important for us to gather our fleet in a quality and adapted environment. It is our duty to offer the crews the opportunity to prepare themselves in the comfort of a modern marina, to have the means to fully provision their boats, as well as to have the opportunity to discover the tourist attractions of the departure destination. And La Palma has it all! Thank you all for this welcome and I would like to thank all the local partners for their support of our event.”
The next to speak was the mayor of Santa Cruz de La Palma, Juan José Neris, who thanked the organisers for choosing the capital’s port as the starting point of this sporting event for the third consecutive time since its inception. Recalling the city’s history, he said: “Santa Cruz de La Palma was one of the most important port enclaves of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and the New World, vital for its development. Today it continues to be not only as a node of maritime communications but also as a living element, energising sports and leisure activities in a city that in its present and future, continues to look to the sea”. He finished his speech saying: “The Rallye des Iles du Soleil continues to place Santa Cruz de La Palma on the map as a tricontinental meeting point”.
The Rallye Iles du Soleil preparation week takes place thanks to sponsorship from the Canaries government, the Tourism Department of the Cabildo de La Palma and the Sports Department of the City Council of Santa Cruz de La Palma, with the collaboration of the Real Nuevo Club Náutico de Santa Cruz de La Palma and Cicar.