This should be the right time! A team of Britons, lead by the offshore Champion Peter Dredge, has thrown the gauntlet for the great race between Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, after some idle attempts.
The start is scheduled for June as it was in 1972.
The new challenge is called Venture Cup, and can count a good number of teams already: the organization is working at full pace. UK once again claims to be the cradle for hardcore offshore, and we strongly believe this is the right time for the race to happen.
The course stretches for 2,400 miles and eight stages. Start is on river Thames and the first arrival is on an island of the Channel, close to French shores. Second stage gets to Les Sables d’Olonne in France, then down to Spain to La Coruna and Cascais. Entrance into Mediterranean will lead to Puerto Banus and Barcelona for the next stages. Second to last leg will arrive in Saint Tropez, for a last show in the French Riviera and the checkered flag in the Principality of Monaco, by the new Yacht Club Monegasque.
Monohulls will be the main players of the raid: a great chance to put in the water many racers too early forgotten with the advent of catamarans. We don’t prefer one type or the other, but we appreciate the differences between two philosophies, both capable of thrilling competition.
The Venture Cup is an ambitious project, but it’s supposed to be just the first of a series of deep sea races: the intent of the promoter is to hold a London-St. Petersburg in 2016, a Tour of England and Ireland in 2017, and a Bahamas-New York in 2018.
