BARRACUDA TOUR : 1st EDITION
The Extreme challenge
The 1st Edition of the Barracuda Tour of Brittany 2013 ended on Saturday 18th May in Saint Malo.
This tour of Brittany on board two 7 and 9 metres Barracudas, braving the harshest of sea
conditions, is a real achievement for BENETEAU and its partners.
500 nautical miles – 8 days – 60 engine hours… the Barracuda Tour: more than an adventure –
a real Tale of the sea!
FROM 10TH TO 18TH MAY 2013 TOUR OF BRITTANY SAINT GILLES – SAINT MALO 8 STAGES
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AN 8 STAGE CHALLENGE
Saturday 11th May saw the start of an 8 stages Tour of Brittany, leaving Saint Gilles Croix de Vie
with a Barracuda 7 and a Barracuda 9 to eventually reach Saint Malo.
Conditions out at sea would be fierce throughout the adventure; headwind, 3 metre swells… the
Barracuda Tour soon turned into a real challenge! Would the Barracudas succeed to complete their
Tour of Brittany in such conditions? Every stage raised the same question and none more so than
the tricky crossing of the Raz de Sein.
The adventurous, thrill-seeking clients and journalists and fishing experts on board would test the
Barracudas in all conditions, both in the harshest navigation conditions as well as during regular
stops in legendary fishing grounds.
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The first day defined the adventure when the team crossed the path of a 6 metre long basking
shark just off Port Joinville. This magical encounter lasted almost half an hour. The boats then
followed the stages, from port to port, up the coast of Brittany, stopping at BENETEAU dealers:
MASSIF MARINE in Saint Gilles, MARINE OUEST SERVICE in Pornic, ARMORIQUE DIFFUSION in
Quiberon, CORNOUAILLE NAUTIQUE in Port La Forêt, Audierne, ROLLAND YACHTING in Brest and in
Roscoff, CRAS NAUTIQUE in Paimpol and finally CHANTIER NAVAL DE LA VILLE AUDRAIN in Saint
Malo.
The legendary 5th stage of the Raz de Sein,
famous crossing for sea bass anglers
fishing in very strong currents, proved
quite challenging – 3 metre swells, strong
currents, large whirlpools… A real
adrenaline boost for the crew who
returned with tanks full of fish and heads
full of the most amazing images.
A “No Kill” policy was adopted throughout
the Tour; each catch, primarily sea bass and pollock, being measured, photographed before being
eventually returned to the sea.
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A 360° PROJECT
Yannick Hemet, BENETEAU Sales Director for France and Spain instigated the project.
What gave you the idea to organise this Barracuda Tour? :
« The aim was to offer sport fishing enthusiasts the whole expertise of our new Barracuda range, to
put boats with performance engine and hulls to the test and see how they fare through the stages.
Have angling experts take these boats to legendary fishing grounds, using state of the art
electronics and top of the range fishing equipment, in order to offer clients and journalists the most
comprehensive testing conditions.»
How did you put the itinerary together?
« Each stage was made up of 2 parts: first navigation time to demonstrate the boats’ speed and
easy handling from one point to the other, in all sea conditions, followed by dedicated fishing breaks
to ensure the crew could benefit from the best advice on the subject and to show how versatile the
boats are. We then identified an itinerary which would allow us to combine extreme navigation and
best fishing grounds, whilst considering the stages’ level of difficulty to give a real sense of what our
Barracudas can achieve. »
What did you enjoy the most?
« Being able to bring together all the teams involved in this crazy project and complete a tour of
Brittany on board 7 and 9 metres Barracuda in 8 days. We took on a massive challenge and our
quality team work demonstrated that our boats can master the roughest seas. The challenge lives
on now with a second edition in the making. »
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THE BARRACUDA TEAM
The Barracuda Tour was an event organised by BENETEAU, its dealer network and its partners. Each
partner had an important role to play in this adventure to allow this exciting project to get off the
ground. BENETEAU’s contribution was the Barracuda range of performance-hull boats.
Thanks to the HONDA MARINE 200 HP engine for the Barracuda 7 and 2x150 HP engine for the
Barracuda 9, they reached top speeds in excess of 30 knots. They rose to the event and completed
the challenge despite very difficult conditions. Almost the entire distance was covered in 35 knots
headwind and very strong currents such as those in the Raz de Sein crossing.
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During all fishing stages, the boats showed great sea-faring qualities and particularly perfect
stability, suited to sport fishing. The Barracuda 7 and 9 optimal interior layout allowed a crew of 4
and 6 respectively on board the boats.
Official partner MC Technologies fitted the electronics on board. Equipped with the latest
LOWRANCE 12’’ and 7’’ HDS touch screens, HD transducers and structure scans, the Barracudas
benefitted from the best chart material currently available on the market.
And to ensure top quality fishing materials and
equipment were on hand, BENETEAU opted for
ILLEX’s Element Rider fishing rods, DAIWA reels,
FIIISH baits and HENRI LLOYD clothing.
The very best coming together to take on the
extreme challenge!
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A WELCOME PARTY ON EACH STAGE
By selecting partner HONDA, BENETEAU duplicated this « Trip » on the road.
For each mile covered by the Barracudas, 1
kilometre travelled by the teams on dry land.
A convoy of HONDA cars followed each stage to
set up a welcome party in each harbour.
Each day, the boats, scheduled for arrival
between 5 and 5.30pm were greeted by music
and both clients and dealers of the area.
A Barracuda Tour stand showcased partner
products and, every evening, a cocktail party, organised by the local dealer, would allow selected
clients and prospects to meet and share in the experience of these extreme adventurers!
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SHARING THE EXPERIENCE
It was crucial to be able to share day by day, hour by hour, every anecdote of this adventure. To
facilitate this, BENETEAU opted for a direct communication platform – its Barracuda Tour Facebook
page: Link : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barracuda-Tour/574121425940091
Between 3rd April and 21st May, there were 68 posts on the Facebook wall, 13 136 people involved
with the posts, amongst which over 7 600 abroad and a traffic peak on 10th May (7 152 views) with
the posting of the teaser video relating to the launch of this 1st edition of the Tour.
The Audierne – Brest stage post generated the highest interaction with 118 shares: the Raz de Sein
was a real highlight!
BENETEAU will continue to post to this page, sharing the final Tour videos and also, of course, the
first details regarding the 2nd edition.
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AN ADVENTURE THOROUGHLY EMBRACED BY THE SPECIALISED PRESS
Many journalists took part in the event and will ensure good press coverage in the next editions of
the boating and fishing press. Attended: journalists from Pêche en mer, Pêche et bateaux, Moteur
Boat, IBI, Youboat and Ouest France.
There was also real enthusiasm for the project amongst the foreign press, including the Russian
Anton Cherkasov, journalist for Motor Boat and Yachting, who took part in 3 stages.
Much more than a sport fishing competition on board Barracudas, this was a shared adventure,
a tale of the sea.
Photos © Jean-Baptiste d’Enquin
Discover all the pictures of the Barracuda Brittany Tour 2013 in the BENETEAU press section
BENETEAU, ZI des Mares – BP 66 85 270 St Hilaire de Riez, France
T : +33 (0)2.51.60.50.43 [email protected]
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PORTRAITS
Fred LAVION, MC-Technologies, Barracuda Tour partner: A real character!
Fred Lavion enjoys sharing and spending time
with friends. He started fishing at the age of 6
and received his first boat for his 16th birthday.
He accompanied us throughout the Barracuda
Tour.
Proud owner of over thirty fishing rods and
reels, he has also gathered over a thousand
baits over the last 15 years. Winner of the
Labrax Tour in 2010, Fred also counts victories at the Open des Glénans, Open du Golfe, Labrax
Iroise, Open d'Oléron. He has competed in a multitude of competitions alongside Yoann Houssais,
with whom he has won many prizes. Age 50, he currently heads MC-Technologies sales in France.
Yann SELLIN, Barracuda Tour expert! Marine
electronics dealer in Auray and member of the
Lowrance, Illex and Daiwa Pro Staff, Yann Sellin
took part in two stages of the Barracuda Tour,
between Saint Gilles Croix de Vie and Quiberon.
His advice lead the Barracuda Tour team to
some impressive catches. Local to the area,
Yann often fishes around Hoëdic, Houat, Belle-
Île-en Mer and already shares his passion with his three daughters aged 12, 9 and 7. He has taken
part in the Labrax Cup and enjoyed multiple podium finishes.