The project, which began in the spring, is now coming to fruition with the provision of 8 Mistral One design boards in Lacanau in October, with priority given to the U 19 and U 25 classes. It is also the culmination of a collaboration initiated by the Fédération Française de Voile and the affiliated class association, France Raceboard Association.
Last spring, the FFV and FRA launched an appeal to national sailing clubs to identify older-generation 3.80m raceboards (Mistral Equipe, One design, F2 Lighthning, Bic Bamba, Tiga Racing, Fanatic MegaCat) that were still seaworthy and could be given away or sold at low prices. The clearly stated aim was to feed the young raceboard market at low cost by recycling old boards that are still seaworthy or in need of minor refurbishment. These boards are still very numerous in France, and are often forgotten at the end of a shed or garage.
Last spring, the FFV and FRA launched an appeal to national sailing clubs to identify older-generation 3.80m raceboards (Mistral Equipe, One design, F2 Lighthning, Bic Bamba, Tiga Racing, Fanatic MegaCat) that were still seaworthy and could be given away or sold at low prices. The clearly stated aim was to feed the young raceboard market at low cost by recycling old boards that are still seaworthy or in need of minor refurbishment. There are still a great many of these boards in France, and they are often forgotten at the end of a shed or garage.
Raceboards with a length of 3.80m offer the advantage of being highly versatile, suitable for use from 1 to 30 knots, and can be sailed at all speeds on inland waters as well as at sea. The generous volumes of these boards make them technically easy to access, and make them transgenerational. Pure performance is not left out for those who want it.
AS Gérardmer, in the Grand Est region of France, is a club where raceboarding has been firmly established for decades, thanks in particular to the unconditional commitment of Michel Mérieux, who maintains this type of equipment and makes it available to young and old alike. In this way, he has succeeded in nurturing real talent, such as Julien Bontemps, silver medallist at the Beijing Olympic Games. Last year, Titouan Halluitte became vice-champion of the U23 Raceboard World Championship in Germany. The next generation is here, with a whole group behind them!
But Michel's main commitment is to training young people over the long term, and leading his group within the club with a real sense of cohesion. He also doesn't hesitate to go to the workshop to maintain his boards and make them last.
AS Gérardmer currently owns over 50 boards, making it the biggest raceboard club in France.
Michel naturally joined in the project. He managed to recover a dozen boards and refurbish them to make them available for the next French Raceboard Championship in Lacanau at the end of October. Most of the boards, the most damaged, have now been given a "Raceboard Revival" makeover, a house brand dear to Michel. Boards in better condition, repaired and still in their original decor, are made available directly to young club members.
To finance the restoration work, as well as the purchase of a trailer to take the boards across France, the Comité Départemental des Vosges, chaired by Michel, was able to count on a small grant from the FSE-ANS, as well as an equitable contribution from the FFV and FRA, who joined forces to top up the budget.
This initially bipartite project between the French Sailing Federation and the class association was eventually extended to a tripartite project with the CDV88.
With a budget of €200 per board, Michel was able to see the project through, thanks to the help of a few motivated young people, a little elbow grease and DIY, and a determination to revive these boards and make them available to young people who can't afford a new-generation Raceboard today.
The national Raceboard class is now taking over from Michel and will manage the provision of 8 boards to young U19 or U25 men and women wishing to take part in the French championship from October 25 to 27.
The project won't stop there, as there are already plans to repeat the same operation at the 2025 Spring National, which will be held at the Lac de la Forêt d'Orient in Champagne Ardennes, as well as at the Raceboard World Championships, which France will be hosting in Mandelieu-La Napoule from October 20 to 25, 2025, and which will see the awarding of senior world titles as well as men's and women's U21 titles.
Now it's up to us youngsters to register with the France Raceboard Association and take advantage of these boards made just for them.
Contact FRA : president@franceraceboard.org
