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Fountaine Pajot Owners Rendez-vous
Porquerolles 2016
Owner rendezvous on the Îles d’Or!
For its 40th anniversary, Fountaine Pajot met up with owners of
Sailing Catamarans and Motor Yachts to mark this special occasion.
This exceptional event took place from May 19 to 22, 2016, on the
islands of Porquerolles and Porc Cros in the Mediterranean.
In all, 30 catamarans joined them in response to this invitation.
Among them were 20 sailing catamarans, including some of the
shipyard’s historical models, such as the Marquises 56 and the Belize 43, but also more recent models such as the Hélia 44, the Lipari
41, Hélia 44 Evolution and, of course, the Lucia 40, the most recent
member of the Sailing Catamaran line.
As for the Motor Yachts, more than ten were present at the event.
Models such as the Maryland 37, the Summerland 40, the Cumberland MY 47 and the new MY37, joined the Motor Yacht fleet for this
2016 rendezvous.
The 145 owners and their crews enjoyed magnificent anchorages in
the limpid sea off the islands of Porquerolles and Port Cros.
The weekend was interspersed with enjoyable cruises, fishing competitions and party photos also organized by our partners, Neptune
yachting magazine for the Motor Yachts, Multicoques Mag for the
Sailing Catamarans, and Ports Toulon Provence.
It was also an opportunity for everyone to get together in the evening to explore the various treasures of the island of Porquerolles,
with a tasting at the Mâs du Langoustier, followed by an memorable
dinner at the “Domaine de l’île” vineyard, and the last evening of the
event at the Alycastre Restaurant, place d’Armes.
A memorable first day at sea off Porquerolles!
The sailing catamaran owners had everything they could wish for
in this first of two days of sailing, in collaboration with Multicoques
Magazine. With an average wind speed of 12 knots and wonderful
sunshine all day long, the conditions were ideal for the 20 cruising
catamarans.
Cruising round Port Cros Island with the Motor Yacht fleet
11.30 am: The start for the crews after a photo of all the participants
on Notre Dame beach. They set off for the island of Grand Ribaud,
which they rounded on the port side, then headed in the direction of
Argent beach for the finishing line.
2–3.30 pm: Crew finish at Argent beach, where they lunched at anchor in splendid surroundings. The whole fleet was photographed.
The 11 boats of the Fountaine Pajot Motor Yacht fleet set sail for the
magnificent island of Port Cros and its surroundings, after a group
photo on the well-known Notre Dame beach. In collaboration with
the Neptune yachting magazine team, the crews approached the
well-known Cap des Mèdes on this beautiful sunny day.
2.30 pm: The crews arrived at Port Cros for a lunch at anchor, or for
some in “Le Manoir” Hotel-Restaurant, in an area of outstanding
beauty.
Together with their friends and families, the owners admired the
variety of landscapes on the protected island of Port Cros.
These majestic rocks, also boast rocky depths and clear waters,
making them a paradise for amateur divers.
Destination Port Cros for the second day!
On the second day of sailing, with less wind, the owners admired the
magnificent landscapes of the îles d’Or. With a course set for Port
Cros, it was an opportunity for the crews to discover the Cap des
Mèdes. Formerly used by the Navy for shelling practice, these wellknown rocks, boasting Mythological scenery, offer a stunning view.
12.30 pm: Arrival on the protected island of Port Cros for lunch at
anchor in the limpid waters of this nature reserve, or for some at the
“Le Manoir” Hotel-Restaurant.
2.30 pm: Start of the second and last leg of the cruising to Porquerolles.
This day was also punctuated by a photo competition of the best
sea photo, organized by Ports Toulon Provence, as well as the best
photo under sail, organized by Multicoques Mag.
4.30 pm: Aerial photo of all of the Fountaine Pajot Motor Yacht and
Sailing Catamaran fleets.
“A bit of Rainbow Wrasse” fishing competition and anchorage at the Argent beach.
On this second day, the crews took part in the fishing competition
organized in collaboration with Neptune yachting magazine. They
set a course for the Giens Peninsula in the hope of a good catch –
and the fish were there to meet them! With on average 12 fish per
crew, the owners were delighted, as were the fish, since as it was a
no-kill competition they were released.
2.30 pm: Departure for the Argent beach for a fleet photograph, at
a stunning anchorage where a turquoise colored sea meets white
sand.
The crews lunched together at the anchorage or at the Plage
d’Argent Restaurant.
The Neptune and Fountaine Pajot teams on site welcomed the
Neptune readers, who were invited to join in this owner weekend
for the occasion.
On this great day, the owners took part in the best sea photo competition organized by Ports Toulon Provence, as well as the Haiku
and drawing competition on the theme of the rainbow wrasse, organized by Neptune.
Looking back at the evenings
An evening full of surprises at the Mâs du Langoustier and
then the Domaine de l’île
The first day came to a close with a winetasting at the Domaine de
l’île, at Le Mâs du Langoustier Hotel-Restaurant, where the guests
learned about citrus fruit and enjoyed verrines prepared by Julien Le
Goff, a Michelin-starred chef as its high point. Then the rest of the
evening took place at the heart of the same Domaine’s vineyard.
vineyard and cellar master, in the company of his entire team.
This evening was also an opportunity to hand out awards to the
owners of the Fountaine Pajot Sailing Catamarans and Motor Yachts,
with a prize-giving. Our partners were delighted to offer several lots
to the participants for:
- The prize for the first day of navigation awarded by Volvo Penta
- The prize for the smartest crew awarded by Neptune Yachting
Our owners enjoyed a Mechoui (whole sheep cooked on a barbecue)
in authentic surroundings, accompanied by the wonderful wine of
the island’s Domaine, cooked by Sami Aburabi, the manager of the
We are very grateful all of our partners in this event!
See more photos on the Yacht club page of our websites:
- catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com
- motoryachts-fountaine-pajot.com
Prize-giving on the last day, place d’Armes, and final evening
at the Alycastre Restaurant
The last evening of the owners’ weekend took place under the shipyard’s 40th anniversary symbol. It began with an Ayala Champagne
reception for all the crews on Place d’Armes in Porquerolles. It continued with the awarding of the prizes for the last day of navigation by
our various partners:
- The prize for the best sea photographs among the Sailing Catamarans and Motor Yachts, awarded by Port Toulon Provence
- The prize for the second day of navigation, awarded by Garmin and
Volvo Penta
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- The prize for the best photo under sail, awarded by Multicoques
Mag
- The prizes for the fishing competition, Haiku and rainbow wrasse
drawing contest, awarded by Neptune Mag
- The prize for the Quiz offered by the Tourist Office
To this can be added a few Ayala Champagne magnums, one of the
event’s major partners, and for all the teams, a Serge Ferrari bag.
Then, after a moving speech by Claire Fountaine, President of the
Board of Directors and Nicolas Gardies, chief executive officer, the
evening continued at the Alycastre Restaurant.