The island of Raiatea, 210km to the West of Tahiti. Not far from Bora Bora. We’re right in the middle of the Society Islands. The backdrop is enchanting and, years on, it’s easy to understand why one of the most attractive sailing events in the Pacific has chosen this region as its base.
ITV Stéphanie Betz co-organiser of the Tahiti Pearl Regatta
This regatta had its genesis some 13 years ago.
Three friends from Raiatea said to themselves “ah, it would be good to organise a little regatta…”
The first year there were 6 boats and year on year for the past 13 years there have been a few more. We’re improving the logistics, we’re improving the organisation, we’re finding new partners and we have an increasing number of competitors.
ITW Maryline Dal Farra, Tahiti’s Minister for Tourism
It’s Polynesia’s competitive sailing event and it is also designed to develop watersports in Polynesia, in line with all the work that’s already been done by the local watersports protagonists, so as to be as accommodating as possible to the sailors who come to visit us.
COM: The Tahiti Pearl Regatta 2016; the thirteenth edition no less. For those that are superstitious, one might say that the meeting isn’t getting off to an auspicious start.
Driving rain hammers down on Uturoa, the archipelago’s administrative capital, when it’s time to proceed with the inauguration of the village. Here though, the two reconcile pretty effortlessly.
ITW Sylviane Terooatea, Mayor of Uturoa:
TPL rainy, TPL happy, today we’re happy to welcome and introduce the partnership to this international race, which has become an unmissable event in the community because, thanks to the TPR today, we’re promoting our islands. That makes us smile, despite the rain, and Mana, the Gods, will always be here and I’m here…
COM: And in Raiatea, commonly called Sacred Island since it refers to the Mana, a supernatural power, founded on magic and religion, the gods are never far away. Such is the case on the TapuTapuatea marae site, the largest Maori meeting house courtyard in Polynesia, where the gods are honoured and asked to have a positive influence on the elements.
COM: The organisers’ incantations have been heard as the sun quickly returns. A must for the crews, the TPR village is the spot for validating the entries. This year, there will be a good thirty or so boats, all keen to hit the exceptional race zone…
ITW Violetta Amaru-Paradot, President of the Raiatea Regatta association:
The Regatta begins with the village and then goes on to the races, which the competitors are keen to get their teeth into. This year, we’re heading to Bora Bora… so we’re also bringing in protagonists from the other Society Islands… Equally, we’re rounding off the event with a race in the lagoon around the island of Taha’a, the Regatta’s favourite circumnavigation…
COM: On the eve of the 1st day of racing, the briefings enable the crews to get the measure of the different courses on offer. The majority of them has already participated in the Tahiti Pearl Regatta so they’re well placed to discuss its spirit…
ITW Nicolas Gruet, skipper NG Yacht Design, 4th participation in the TPR:
The sociable atmosphere is key. The camaraderie comes next. Tourism is up there too as we get to sail on the most beautiful lagoons in the world. Finally, performance is crucial for the racing aspect… We’re midway between a sail tour rally and a race.
For racers like me it’s great!
COM: And for the 32 competing crews, split into 3 categories, Racing, Challenge and Cruising, the traditional prologue is a work-up and a final training session before the three days of competition scheduled for the Tahiti Pearl Regatta.
ITW Billy Besson: I hope everyone has a fantastic regatta and you all have a really fun time in this edition!
COM: A welcome speech from Billy Besson, patron to this 13th edition. The four-time world Nacra 17 champion is successor to the late Laurent Bourgnon, who will forever leave his stamp on the event…
ITW Billy Besson: Laurent really was an excellent sailor so I feel incredibly honoured to be taking on his title as patron of the TPR.
COM: It’s hard to imagine a finer ambassador than the sailor who will represent France in the Olympic Games in Rio with his partner Marie Riou. A native of Tahiti, Billy is right up to speed with this particular playground.
ITV Billy Besson: We’re not used to sailing in the Society Islands so you do have to gen up on the specific playground a bit. Here, we’re between two islands, Taha’a and Raiataea, where there’s a natural channelling effect… so the wind really picks up between them. This is just one example of the many little things that make the Society Islands perfect for sailing.
COM: Sunrise over Raiatea. A moment of calm and serenity as the first races approach. The pressure is slowly mounting…
ITW Thierry Hars, skipper OPT-Vini: We’re waiting for the start…
Journalist: Are you ready?
ITW Thierry Hars: Yes, yes, we’re okay!
COM: At the helm of a fairly atypical project, Thierry Hars, former president of the Tahitian Sailing Federation, is preparing to introduce the members of his crew to racing…
Thierry Hars, skipper OPT-Vini: Well, we’re made up of post office agents… there’s just four of us aboard the boat. It’s going well, but they’ve never sailed before. I’m the only one who’s done a bit of sailing… They’re still learning. It’s going fine though!
COM: All’s well aboard the committee boat too for Georges Korhel, Race Director, as he launches the start of the 1st windward-leeward race, reserved solely for the “Racing” boats.
COM: Among the monohulls, in a little less than 40 minutes, Arearea will take the win, in elapsed time, in the first of the 6 races that make up the Tahiti Pearl Regatta. Jean-Pierre Basse explains the reasons for this victory, a harbinger of supreme domination…
Jean-Pierre Basse: Getting a good start, with nice, clean tacks, heading nicely back up the course… with as short a route as possible. Avoiding making mistakes with the spinnaker hoist. Keeping the bulk of the fleet behind us was exactly what we wanted. Just slipping along!
COM: The only thing is, the ranking is calculated in corrected time. In other words, a time handicap is allocated to those boats which are potentially quicker, like that of Jean-Pierre Basse, so that all the boats can battle it out on an equal footing…
This may enable boats like the little Speed Feet 18s to rank well.
COM: Among the multihulls, NG Yacht Design, the winner in elapsed time, will be surpassed by Makatea in corrected time.
COM: They immediately link onto the Raiatea windward-leeward course and the start of the 1st leg is about to kick off. Those competing in the Tahiti Pearl Regatta will have to sail 23 miles or just over 42 kilometres to make Bora Bora, the pearl of the Pacific.
COM: The course is fraught with difficulties and, according to the old hands, great tactics will be key…
ITW Thierry Hars, skipper OPT-Vini: When we head to Bora Bora, we’ll exit via the Tiva pass. We’ll be in the lee of the island of Taha’a so there are places which are best avoided, where there are valleys and accelerations… We’ll be under spinnaker so we’ll have to be on our guard…
COM: For some, the area around the Tiva Pass does indeed prove to be a tough nut to crack. The crew on the Speed Feet 18 Hoe Hoe isn’t hurt so much as frightened, but they very quickly right themselves and get back on the racetrack.
COM: This course between Raiatea and Bora Bora gives us an opportunity to appreciate how well certain boats handle, namely Djeune’s Team (Racing Division 2) and Raiatea Yacht (Racing Division 1), which is also competing in the Enterprise Challenge ranking.
COM: At the front of the pack, Arearea shows why she’s the outright favourite. Victorious once again in elapsed time in Bora Bora, Jean-Pierre Basse and his crew also take the lead of the overall ranking in corrected time. Among the Class 40s, Team Lipton Ice Tea, AreaRea’s direct rival, there is the overwhelming sense of having missed out a bit…
ITW Didier Caulliez: In principle, in elapsed time, the race was ours for the taking because we have a very powerful boat downwind. Unfortunately, we ripped the spinnaker at the start. We took an option slightly too far south, so we got a little caught up in a wind shadow from the island of Raiatea at one point and then rediscovered a bit of breeze, but it was a bit complicated. We did finish in second place in elapsed time, still behind Arearea though, which is a little disappointing…
And when we ask if Arearea is really the boat to beat?
ITW Didier Caulliez: She really is the boat to beat this year I think and she’s going to be very tough to outpace…
COM: After the day’s races, it’s party time – an unmissable part of the Tahiti Pearl Regatta
ITW Gaël Duclaux: We’re exhausted, but we always manage to find the energy to party in the evenings because that’s what the TPR is all about essentially; a good atmosphere, friends and good humour.
COM: The lively evenings are sure to be a showstopper!
ITW Stéphanie Betz: During these evenings, we try to add a little Polynesian touch, whether it’s the Polynesian ambiance, the Polynesian dancing or the Polynesian setting… and that’s why it works. It’s a blend of sport, friendship and culture.
COM: The day after the party at a latitude of 16° South and a longitude of 151° West. There is a special breakfast delivery aboard the boats at anchor. Just one of the many charms of the most festive regatta in the Pacific.
ITW Loana Bride: We’re having fun. We’re doing everything we love. Sailing, partying and friends. It’s holiday time for a week. Happiness reigns!
COM: With regards to the sport, nothing beats a short windward-leeward aboard Team Lipton (Ice Tea) by way of an introduction… with the added bonus of a tourist guide, who does a pretty effect job!
Benoît Parnaudeau, Owner of the Team Lipton Ice Tea boat:
You know the mountain there? It’s Bora Bora… Guys, if you want to come and sail round here, just call… you’ll get a great welcome… they’re lovely people here!!
COM: Didier Caulliez’ boat has a distinguished guest aboard in the person of Billy Besson, patron of the TPR 2016 and a wise observer of the manœuvres on-board.
COM: And at the end of a course that results in a 2nd place in elapsed time behind the insatiable Arearea, when the champion speaks, everyone listens…
Billy Besson: …There are times when I felt it was a bit tense… In terms of the decision-making, especially when it’s full-on, I feel there needs to be one person who chooses, either the tactician or someone else.
ITW Billy Besson: You can feel that they’ve put in a lot of training and all the manoeuvres were smooth as you like! Frankly, they just need to make a few slight tweaks in terms of communication but other than that, they’re a great team!
COM: For the 32 crews, it’s time to leave Bora Bora and head over to the island of Taha’a to complete a second coastal sprint spanning some 22 miles…
COM: We now focus on the Cruising group, made up of boats with no measurement certificates. They cannot participate in the windward-leeward courses, but they are free to compete in the island to island sprints, where their ranking is drawn up in elapsed time. In the Cruising category, the significance of the international contingent is equalled only by its enthusiasm…
ITW Thomas Stein (in English with a strong German accent):
COM: Thomas Stein is German. Morgan Rogers, meantime, is Australian. Neither are targeting competition at all costs, they rather focus on the enjoyment of sailing in an outstanding setting…
ITW Morgan Rogers (in Australian English):
COM: As a result, Morgan Rogers has somewhat naturally become ambassador for the Tahiti Pearl Regatta in Australia…
ITW Morgan Rogers:
COM: Bora Bora lies in the distance, viewed from the island of Taha’a where the finish of race No.4 is about to be decided. The days, like the races, go by and each is reminiscent of the last for Jean-Pierre Basse whose boat, once again, is in the top spot… Teva Plichart, who will represent Tahiti in the next Tour de France à la Voile, sings the praises of the Arearea crew…
Teva Plichart, crew on Arearea: We’re a group of friends who’ve been sailing together for a very long time and have a good level. Naturally there are small things to work on and hone sometimes so that’s what we do every time we go out. We work a little bit and the crew’s progressing incredibly quickly. To my mind, we made big gains in corrected time too today, which means the crew has sailed very, very well!
Jean-Pierre Basse, skipper of Arearea: Teva Plichart is really motivating us. He’s introducing the theoretical aspect to us, which we weren’t overly familiar with and he’s always, always on the case too. He never gives up! Never!
COM: In the Cruising group, victory goes to the Swedish boat, Spirit, which moves up to the level of those competing in the Racing group, better even, as she’s the quickest in elapsed time.
ITW Erik Lindgren, skipper of Spirit (in Swedish English):
COM: Though the appeal of the Tahiti Pearl Regatta lies in the disparity of the classes of boats that make up the fleet, the diversity of its crews is also a significant factor. It’s a kind of melting pot, that really adds to the spirit of the event…
ITW Stéphane Renard, co-organiser of the Tahiti Pearl Regatta: It’s also a mix, a mix of all types of sailors, people who aren’t familiar with sailing at all, Polynesians who are doing it for the first time and much more honed sailors, who love the sport and love sailing. Some even come from all over the world to race on this fantastic race zone. Personally, what I really love about this event is having all types of boats, all types of audiences and people who meet, exchange ideas and share the same passion in a wonderful setting.
COM: 3rd and final day of racing… We’re on-board Argo, the Pogo 12.50 helmed by Gilles Robert for the last windward-leeward course of this 13th Tahiti Pearl Regatta. In the start phase things are, as you might say… a bit hot!
COM: In the Racing category, Argo is one of the quickest boats of the fleet. She’s regularly nipping at the heels of her direct rivals, like Arearea and Team Lipton Ice Tea…
A retired neurosurgeon, Gilles Robert happened upon the Tahiti Pearl Regatta a little by chance…
ITW Gilles Robert: Well, we were cruising around the world and we happened to be here at the right time, in the right place to take part in this regatta!
COM: Together with his wife Cathy, this is a childhood dream come true and the happiness is positively palpable…
ITW Cathy Robert: We’re incredibly lucky, it’s magnificent! The people are adorable, the other crews seem very nice… There’s not really a competitive feel. I think it’s pretty good natured… Above all though, it’s the spirit… The spirit! We’ll try to return next year for more of that!
COM: Meantime, Jean-Pierre Basse and his crew, who have absolutely dominated proceedings, bang home their 5th consecutive win in elapsed time. You might think that, for them, the final race will be a mere formality… but you’d be mistaken. In the start phase, Arearea crosses the line too early and gets slammed with a penalty, forcing the crew to go back and cross that same line again.
COM: We’ll come back later and see if it’s just a case of putting off the inevitable… over the 22-nautical mile course around the island of Taha’a.
COM: Past the windward mark, our friend Gilles Robert is the first to hoist his spinnaker for a run of some ten miles or so.
COM: Around what we nickname Vanilla Island, over 80% of the famous Tahiti vanilla is produced here, the lagoon setting is simply breathtaking… But on Taha’a, a few pearl farms also colour the landscape…
COM: Maeva is a pearl farmer. She gives us a quick explanation of her business.
Maeva Champon, pearl farmer:
It takes 18 months to make a pearl, but you can repeat the cycle up to 5 times so one oyster can make up to 5 pearls. One at a time.
On Taha’a there are two pearl farms in operation including ourselves.
The special feature we have in the Society Islands is the colour of the pearls essentially. We have a fairly typical pearl here, which is coppery red.
It’s a colour you only find in the Society Islands, not in the Tuamotus where there is significant pearl production.
There are three criteria for grading pearls.
There’s the size, the shape and the quality.
In terms of size, the biggest ones have the greatest value, because they are grown for longer. Next, each shape is ranked according to quality:
Quality A, B and C, which are set according to the lustre and imperfections on the pearls.
COM: The Tahiti Pearl Regatta is aptly named then, but its competitors will have a while to wait before they stop off at Maeva’s. First they have to get around the island and cross the finish line.
COM: Despite her calamitous start, Arearea has dug deep to pick off the fleet and continue her dazzling supremacy in style. Jean-Pierre Basse and his team win the Taha’a round the island. It’s a Grand Slam. 6 races, 6 victories in elapsed time and, above all, outright victory in the overall ranking in corrected time in the monohull Racing category, Division 1.
ITW Jean-Pierre Basse: Absolute domination indeed, a good start, fine manœuvring, spinnaker hoists as straight as a die.
My lads have really worked very well.
COM: In the overall ranking, Arearea, Jean-Pierre Basse’s A 35 respectively finishes ahead of Neva Neva, the Speed Feet 18 skippered by Gwenaelle Janicaud and Raiatea Yacht, Alexandre Degrenne’s Pogo 8.50.
COM: In the monohull Racing group, Division 2, victory goes to Djeune’s Team, Benjamin Prioux’s Feeling 346. 2nd place for Windfall, Roland Marti’s Omega 34. Pacific Ortho, Hervé Roncin’s Oceanis 440 completes the podium.
COM: In the multihull category, it’s Makatea, Gaël Duclaux’s Edel Cat 33 that stands out. NG Yacht Design, the Ekolokat 34 skippered by Nicolas Gruet takes second. Azuline, Jean-Loup Rousseau’s prototype bags third.
COM: In the Cruising category, Erik Lindgren and his Spirit make a clean sweep of the prizes with 3 victories out of 3 races. They outpace Thomas Fallevoz’s Cyrolia and Michel Karakanian’s Alidad.
COM: Finally, in the Entreprise Challenge ranking, outright victory goes to Raiatea Yacht. Pacific Ortho and Team Lipton Ice Tea secure 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
The Tahiti Pearl Regatta 2016 draws to a close amidst a festive, fiery atmosphere. Set a date for the 14th edition will play host to an even greater number of competitors, further boosting the development of competitive sailing in this part of the world…
ITW Stéphane Renard: We must somehow find a way to manage to project ourselves into the Pacific, which is a fantastic ocean to sail in.
The distances are majestic and the venues where we make landfall are fabulous, so we need to find the right approach, the right way to make ourselves heard and raise awareness of the potential for developing transoceanic races in the Pacific. It’s down to us to prove that we can accommodate them, that we can do it and that we are very good at it.
The marine infrastructure is in place, showing it’s possible to host major events and, who knows, in the near future, restore the lustre of races as legendary as the Tranpac
MUSIC CUE SHEET – TAHITI PEARL REGATTA 2016
TC In TC out Ref.
00 35 – 01 39 Parigo SCDV 05 70 13
02 25 – 02 51 Parigo PEDF 00 80 08
04 04 – 04 56 Parigo ROCK 01 46 34
05 23 – 06 43 Parigo RSM 01 80 18
06 41 – 08 21 Parigo CAVC 02 11 02
08 20 – 10 52 Parigo SCDV 05 70 23
12 59 – 14 09 Parigo SCDV 05 65 25
14 38 – 15 35 Parigo CAVT 00 36 16
15 56 – 17 37 Parigo CAVT 00 36 16
18 32 – 19 28 Parigo TFS 02 80 17
20 55 – 23 48 Parigo PMOL 00 24 34
23 42 – 25 22 Parigo SCDV 05 70 23
25 51 – 26 36 Parigo PEDF 00 15 23
