Michel Desjoyaux confirmed as the winner of the Seychelles Regatta 2009

Last Saturday, Eden House on Eden Island was under the spell of champagne. The reason for this was the wrapping up of the Seychelles Regatta 2009, which had taken place between the 16th and the 23rd of May, organised by the company Blue Ocean Events and its directors Olivier le Grelle and Regis Elhaouel.

It came as no surprise that boat number nine 9, sailed by professional skipper Michel Desjoyaux who is sponsored by champagne brand “Nicolas Feuillatte”, won the race although the Seychelles Regatta was marked by the participation of great international skippers like Dee Caffari, Romain Attanasio, Armel Le Cleach’h and Sam Davies. It was in fact the latter, sponsored by CPR Decoration, who came in second with her crew.

Same as some of the other international skippers, Michel Desjoyaux did not attend the ceremony. In his place, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte’s export manageress Claire Yverneau, together with other members of the crew of boat number 9 received their trophy from the hands of Seychellois vice president Joseph Belmont. The trophy was sponsored by the STB together with a week for two at the Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa.

The prize giving and wrapping up ceremony attracted numerous leaders of Seychellois tourism. Such as Alain St-Ange, marketing director of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), who in his speech thanked the professional skippers and local helpers for contributing to make the regatta a success; or Seychellois vice president and Minister of Tourism Joseph Belmont, Eden Island chief executive Craig Heeger, and French ambassador to the Seychelles, Philippe Delacroix.

The final ranking showed the crew of Nicolas Feuillate with 10 points on their catamaran Leopard 43, followed by CPR Decoration with 18 points, Keneos Aubriet and Romain Attanasio with 26 points, Chagneau with 29 points, Lady Anja with 30 points, Rome with 31 points, C-Team with 42 points, Air Seychelles with 50 points and Terra Cognita with 53 points.

During the evening, prizes for the fishing competition which took place during the regatta were given to the crew of Rome and a special price for Fair Play was decreed to Lady Anja of Eden Island.

During his speech, Alain St Ange extended an invitation towards the sailing champions, asking them to sign up once again for next year’s Seychelles Regatta. He expressed his intention for the STB to develop the event into an important happening on the agenda of the national Seychellois tourism office.

The prize giving ceremony was followed by a special buffet at Eden Island in a very agreeable Creole ambiance.