The Tour de France à la Voile was created by Bernard Decré in 1978. Every year in July, the race leaves the North Sea to sail to the French Riviera with around 12 stopovers along the French coast. All teams sail offshore legs from stopover to stopover and technical races (short regattas where they are asked to sail around a couple of marks).

One of the fundamental rules of the Tour de France à la Voile, all boats have to be the same (one-design). Victory entirely comes down to the sailors. And the boats evolved. The race saw lots of different yachts through the years:
 Ecume de Mer (Mallard), First 30 (Bénéteau), also boat of the year in 1978, 
Rush Royale (Jeanneau), 
Sélection Royale (Jeanneau), 
JOD 35 (Jeanneau), 
Mumm 30, renamed Farr 30 in 2008 (Farr Yacht Design) and now the M34, a new boat for 2011 (Archambault).

The 35th Tour de France à la Voile stops in eight cities. The race starts on 29 June in Dunkirk and ends on 26 July in La Seyne-sur-Mer.



35 years later, the spirit of the Tour de France à la Voile remains the same: promoting the diversity of the sea and showcase the teams' competitive spirit and stamina.



Once again you are invited to watch this unique spectacle along the French coast. Keep an eye out for the Tour's convoy and pay us a visit in one of the stopovers!