Barracuda Tour : 1st Edition The Extreme challenge

The 1st Edition of the Barracuda Tour of Brittany 2013 ended on Saturday 18th May in Saint Malo.

This tour of Brittany on board two 7 and 9 metres Barracudas, braving the harshest of sea conditions, is a real achievement for BENETEAU and its partners.

500 nautical miles – 8 days – 60 engine hours… the Barracuda Tour: more than an adventure – a real Tale of the sea!

FROM 10TH TO 18TH MAY 2013 TOUR OF BRITTANY SAINT GILLES – SAINT MALO 8 STAGES

AN 8 STAGE CHALLENGE

Saturday 11th May saw the start of an 8 stages Tour of Brittany, leaving Saint Gilles Croix de Vie with a Barracuda 7 and a Barracuda 9 to eventually reach Saint Malo.

Conditions out at sea would be fierce throughout the adventure; headwind, 3 metre swells… the Barracuda Tour soon turned into a real challenge! Would the Barracudas succeed to complete their Tour of Brittany in such conditions? Every stage raised the same question and none more so than the tricky crossing of the Raz de Sein.

The adventurous, thrill-seeking clients and journalists and fishing experts on board would test the Barracudas in all conditions, both in the harshest navigation conditions as well as during regular stops in legendary fishing grounds.

The first day defined the adventure when the team crossed the path of a 6 metre long basking shark just off Port Joinville. This magical encounter lasted almost half an hour. The boats then followed the stages, from port to port, up the coast of Brittany, stopping at BENETEAU dealers: MASSIF MARINE in Saint Gilles, MARINE OUEST SERVICE in Pornic, ARMORIQUE DIFFUSION in Quiberon, CORNOUAILLE NAUTIQUE in Port La Forêt, Audierne, ROLLAND YACHTING in Brest and in Roscoff, CRAS NAUTIQUE in Paimpol and finally CHANTIER NAVAL DE LA VILLE AUDRAIN in Saint Malo.

The legendary 5th stage of the Raz de Sein, famous crossing for sea bass anglers fishing in very strong currents, proved quite challenging – 3 metre swells, strong currents, large whirlpools… A real adrenaline boost for the crew who returned with tanks full of fish and heads full of the most amazing images.

A “No Kill” policy was adopted throughout the Tour; each catch, primarily sea bass and pollock, being measured, photographed before being eventually returned to the sea.

A 360° PROJECT Yannick Hemet, BENETEAU Sales Director for France and Spain instigated the project. What gave you the idea to organise this Barracuda Tour? : « The aim was to offer sport fishing enthusiasts the whole expertise of our new Barracuda range, to put boats with performance engine and hulls to the test and see how they fare through the stages. Have angling experts take these boats to legendary fishing grounds, using state of the art electronics and top of the range fishing equipment, in order to offer clients and journalists the most comprehensive testing conditions.»

How did you put the itinerary together?

« Each stage was made up of 2 parts: first navigation time to demonstrate the boats’ speed and easy handling from one point to the other, in all sea conditions, followed by dedicated fishing breaks to ensure the crew could benefit from the best advice on the subject and to show how versatile the boats are. We then identified an itinerary which would allow us to combine extreme navigation and best fishing grounds, whilst considering the stages’ level of difficulty to give a real sense of what our Barracudas can achieve. » What did you enjoy the most?

« Being able to bring together all the teams involved in this crazy project and complete a tour of Brittany on board 7 and 9 metres Barracuda in 8 days. We took on a massive challenge and our quality team work demonstrated that our boats can master the roughest seas. The challenge lives on now with a second edition in the making. »

THE BARRACUDA TEAM

The Barracuda Tour was an event organised by BENETEAU, its dealer network and its partners. Each partner had an important role to play in this adventure to allow this exciting project to get off the ground. BENETEAU’s contribution was the Barracuda range of performance-hull boats. Thanks to the HONDA MARINE 200 HP engine for the Barracuda 7 and 2x150 HP engine for the Barracuda 9, they reached top speeds in excess of 30 knots. They rose to the event and completed the challenge despite very difficult conditions. Almost the entire distance was covered in 35 knots headwind and very strong currents such as those in the Raz de Sein crossing.

During all fishing stages, the boats showed great sea-faring qualities and particularly perfect stability, suited to sport fishing. The Barracuda 7 and 9 optimal interior layout allowed a crew of 4 and 6 respectively on board the boats.

Official partner MC Technologies fitted the electronics on board. Equipped with the latest LOWRANCE 12’’ and 7’’ HDS touch screens, HD transducers and structure scans, the Barracudas benefitted from the best chart material currently available on the market.

And to ensure top quality fishing materials and equipment were on hand, BENETEAU opted for ILLEX’s Element Rider fishing rods, DAIWA reels, FIIISH baits and HENRI LLOYD clothing.

The very best coming together to take on the extreme challenge!

A WELCOME PARTY ON EACH STAGE

By selecting partner HONDA, BENETEAU duplicated this « Trip » on the road.

For each mile covered by the Barracudas, 1 kilometre travelled by the teams on dry land.

A convoy of HONDA cars followed each stage to set up a welcome party in each harbour.

Each day, the boats, scheduled for arrival between 5 and 5.30pm were greeted by music and both clients and dealers of the area.

A Barracuda Tour stand showcased partner products and, every evening, a cocktail party, organised by the local dealer, would allow selected clients and prospects to meet and share in the experience of these extreme adventurers!

SHARING THE EXPERIENCE

It was crucial to be able to share day by day, hour by hour, every anecdote of this adventure. To facilitate this, BENETEAU opted for a direct communication platform – its Barracuda Tour Facebook page: Link : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barracuda-Tour/574121425940091

Between 3rd April and 21st May, there were 68 posts on the Facebook wall, 13 136 people involved with the posts, amongst which over 7 600 abroad and a traffic peak on 10th May (7 152 views) with the posting of the teaser video relating to the launch of this 1st edition of the Tour.

The Audierne – Brest stage post generated the highest interaction with 118 shares: the Raz de Sein was a real highlight!

BENETEAU will continue to post to this page, sharing the final Tour videos and also, of course, the first details regarding the 2nd edition.

AN ADVENTURE THOROUGHLY EMBRACED BY THE SPECIALISED PRESS

Many journalists took part in the event and will ensure good press coverage in the next editions of the boating and fishing press. Attended: journalists from Pêche en mer, Pêche et bateaux, Moteur Boat, IBI, Youboat and Ouest France.

There was also real enthusiasm for the project amongst the foreign press, including the Russian Anton Cherkasov, journalist for Motor Boat and Yachting, who took part in 3 stages.

Much more than a sport fishing competition on board Barracudas, this was a shared adventure, a tale of the sea.

Discover all the pictures of the Barracuda Brittany Tour 2013 in the BENETEAU press section

BENETEAU, ZI des Mares – BP 66 85 270 St Hilaire de Riez, France T : +33 (0)2.51.60.50.43

beneteau.presse@beneteau.fr

PORTRAITS

Fred LAVION, MC-Technologies, Barracuda Tour partner: A real character! Fred Lavion enjoys sharing and spending time with friends. He started fishing at the age of 6 and received his first boat for his 16th birthday. He accompanied us throughout the Barracuda Tour. Proud owner of over thirty fishing rods and reels, he has also gathered over a thousand baits over the last 15 years. Winner of the Labrax Tour in 2010, Fred also counts victories at the Open des Glénans, Open du Golfe, Labrax Iroise, Open d'Oléron. He has competed in a multitude of competitions alongside Yoann Houssais, with whom he has won many prizes. Age 50, he currently heads MC-Technologies sales in France. Yann SELLIN, Barracuda Tour expert! Marine electronics dealer in Auray and member of the Lowrance, Illex and Daiwa Pro Staff, Yann Sellin took part in two stages of the Barracuda Tour, between Saint Gilles Croix de Vie and Quiberon. His advice lead the Barracuda Tour team to some impressive catches. Local to the area, Yann often fishes around Hoëdic, Houat, Belle-Île-en Mer and already shares his passion with his three daughters aged 12, 9 and 7. He has taken part in the Labrax Cup and enjoyed multiple podium finishes.