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Feature story

Arianespace sponsors the 30th annual Ariane's Cup regatta

July 21, 2009

Members of the European space industry and colleagues will gather in September for camaraderie and friendly competition during the annual Ariane’s Cup sailboat regatta.

For this 30th anniversary event, the Ariane’s Cup is being staged September 24-27 at the Old Port of Marseille, France.  Vying for the top prize will be participants from throughout Europe, who will be sailing boats that are leased locally and provided to the teams by lottery.

The Ariane’s Cup dates back to 1979 – the year of the first Ariane launch.  At the inaugural regatta, some 10 boats with personnel representing three French companies departed from the port at La Trinité, Martinique.   Its success led to the creation of an annual gathering, which took on a European dimension in 1982 when the event was organized at the port city of Le Crouesty, France and sponsored by Arianespace.

During its three decades, locations in England, France, Germany, Greece, the Grenadines, Guadeloupe, Italy, Spain and Sweden have welcomed the event – which encourages participants to discover the Cup’s host city and relax with colleagues as well as indulge their passion for adventure boating.

The Organisation et Secrétariat de la Coupe Ariane (OSCAR) was created in 1984 to manage the growing event, which has evolved into a premier gathering of maritime enthusiasts.  

Event sponsorship rotates among the Ariane program’s industrial partners, European space agencies, and Arianespace – which is once again backing the Ariane’s Cup for its milestone 30th year celebration.

• For additional information, see the Ariane’s Cup website.