The ninth X-Yachts Gold Cup was held in La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany in France from 29 July to 2 August. At sea, the races had been organised by SNT (La Société de Nautique), one of France’s leading organisers of racer-cruiser regattas. On shore, X-Yachts France had organised the event, including the provision of meals and professional entertainment.

The title sponsor, AUDI, had brought six black highly polished AUDI’s with chauffeurs to La Trinité-sur-Mer. These beautiful looking, high quality and fast cars were all positioned, together with two X-37s, on the quay in front of the large tent, which held six-hundred guests; and, as a special service to the participants, the AUDI’s were at their disposal for driving to and from hotels and airports. An impressive sight not only to the participants, but to all visitors in La Trinité during the Cup.

The preparations for holding an international X-Yachts Gold Cup usually begin two years in advance. Contracts are signed with title sponsor, marina and a yacht club with experience in organising big regattas. Thereafter, the national X-Yachts dealers begin organising the event in every little detail right up to the moment the starting bell rings out.

This year’s Gold Cup began on Thursday 29 June with arrival and registration during the day. In the late afternoon, the participants were accompanied from their moorings to the party tent by a typical Breton band, dressed in their national costumes, playing bagpipes and drums. Afterwards, the big party tent was open for champagne and canapés. José Vande Castele, the French X-Yachts dealer, and Niels Jeppesen, X-Yachts designer, welcomed the sixty crews and declared the AUDI X-Yachts Gold Cup 2006 open.

On the Friday morning, the skippers’ meeting was held, after which the X-Yachts fleet headed for the race course. The first race was laid out as an up-and-down course of 5.3 Nm with two starts for, respectively, Class A and B. The wind was below 12 knots and the first course lasted approximately one hour. First to finish in Class A was the X-362 Sport ”Exhibix”, skippered by Frank Lang; and, in Class B, the IMX 45 ”Karukera”, skippered by Jean-Briach Nicol.

SNT laid out the second course as an up-and-down once again, but this time for a distance of 7 Nm. Winners were, in Class A, the X-37 “Nutmeg”, skippered by Francois Lognone; and, in Class B, the IMX 45 ”Karukera” achieved another first.

After the two first races, the wind increased to more than 12 knots and this made the racing committee opt for a coastal race, where the X-37 “Nutmeg”, for the second time, became first in Class A; and where the X-Yachts’ designer, Niels Jeppesen, and his Danish/English crew came first in his X-46 “Tomcat”, with furling boom and furling Genoa. All in all, it was a wonderful day at sea, with three perfectly laid courses.

Back in the marina, the bar had opened at the quay, where Harken had also installed their popular “coffee-grinder”. All the “muscular” men and women had good fun, challenging each other for prizes in the competition.

The evening ended with a five-course gourmet dinner, live music for entertainment during the meal and dancing afterwards.

Unfortunately, the second day of racing was not blessed with much wind and, consequently, only one up-and-down race was completed. Again, in Class A, X-362 Sport “Exhibix” was first; and, in Class B, the IMX 45 “Karukera” succeeded yet again.

Both “Exhibix” and “Karukera” were overall winners in their class and “Karukera” was the Overall winner of the AUDI X-Yachts Gold Cup and received the AUDI and X-Yachts Gold Cup Trophy.

The gala dinner on Saturday night had an extra course. As the French football team had qualified for the quarter finals against Brazil in the World Cup, and the game was to be played on Saturday evening, X-Yachts France needed to find two large TV screens, at the last minute, to set up in the tent. They succeeded in renting the two last screens in Brittany and the French football team succeeded in winning the match as well. What a commotion six hundred people can make!

A well organised event had come to an end and, thanks to the title sponsor AUDI, all the other twenty-five Gold Cup sponsors, the SNT, the marina Sagemore and the French X-Yachts team, this 9th Gold Cup was yet another marvellous success.