Jersey Electricity : welcomes 34th Tour des Ports Regatta

The largest sailing event in the Channel Islands and Normandy is underway with support from Jersey Electricity and our Channel Islands Electricity Grid (CIEG) partners Guernsey Electricity, with each utility sponsoring the stopovers in their respective islands.

Over 85 boats and 600 sailors are participating in the week-long regatta. They include entrants from Jersey, Guernsey, France and the UK. This year's regatta, the 34th, started in St Vaast-La Hougue on Sunday. The fleet races to Cherbourg, Dielette, St Peter Port and Barneville-Carteret before arriving in Jersey on Thursday at around 4pm and moor up at the Albert Pier.

A prize giving and a crew dinner will be held at the Albert Pier Terminal starting at 6:30pm. Senator Steve Pallett and St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft will represent the States of Jersey and they will be joined by officials from the Department de la Man, representing Jersey Electricity as co-sponsors of the stopover, hosted by St Helier Yacht Club.

The fleet made an impressive sight at Albert Pier last year

The fleet will depart from a start line in St Aubin's Bay at 8:30am on Friday for the final leg to Granville.

Sailing conditions were perfect for the start of yesterday's first leg - wind at 10 knots, sunshine, and flat seas. As the hours went by, however, the wind dropped to a very light breeze, barely enough to sail. And although some crews managed to make the most of every ripple in order to complete the course, which had to be cut back to the 'Pierre Noire' buoy, others were unable to finish within the time allotted.

All of the smallest boats which make up Group 1 were outside the time limit and only three out of the 14 contestants in Group 2 managed to complete the leg. Eight out of 22 in Group 3 managed to reach the end, led by the crew of Idée Fixe.

Club Dinette Bar Restaurant was the only boat to succeed in Group 4 out of 17. And finally, in Group 5, the largest boats, seven out of 19 reached the finishing line. Axe Sail, skippered by Axel Gadbin, won this leg, ahead of the crew of Crédit Mutuel et Ville de Donville.

Follow race updates here.