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EN
The village is open daily but on the eve of the French school holidays more than 500 school children were in the village today.
With one group, school teachers, Magali and Anaïs, had prepared this outing extensively with the race's educational kit, but nothing beats the real thing.
"Seeing the boats, meeting the sailors, brings to life everything we've learned in class." And when it came to the question of the highlight of the day it was the photoshoot and autograph session with Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur, IMOCA) who was the clear winner.
"I like the green cuddly toy from Les P'tits Doudous," grinned one of the party, others were already connoisseurs: "I prefer the ULTIMs, especially the blue one, because they go faster." The children were enthralled by the engineering project, the La Main à la Pâte foundation took the opportunity to officially launch the "À l'abordage" (Help It On) initiative! This project will allow students from kindergarten to middle school to build a boat capable of moving on water, just like engineers, and to present it at the end of the school year in Marseille.
Kids gathered at the boats of Szabolcs Weroës (New Europe) and Vendée Globe runner up Yoann Richomme (Paprèc Arkéa) to get an autograph, while the more curious are drawn to two containers set up at the end of the Paul Vatine basin, at the top of the Bains des Docks. Inside, an immersive experience awaits them.
In partnership with 11th Hour Racing, these spaces immerse you in marine life and coffee culture. One of the structures traces the history of this small bean from its birth in Ethiopia to Captain Gabriel de Clieu, who brought the first coffee plant to Martinique.
In the second, projected on giant screens, the skippers share their experiences, their vision of their playground, and their sometimes weird, odd experiences, such as Tanguy Le Turquais crossing paths with a fridge adrift in the middle of the Southern Ocean. This is a strong image that speaks to young people.
"This generation was born with an environmental awareness," explains Yann Louchet, a teacher at Turgauville School in Gonfreville-L'Orcher, "But we must continue to provide future generations with the keys to understanding and taking action." And what better way to awaken them than to come face to face with an almost life-size humpback whale on the walls of these containers. Majestic, silent, it reminds us of the fragile beauty of the marine world that we must protect at all costs.