Manfred RAMSPACHER, Director of Sirius Événements, looks back on his partnership with Adrena, a tool that has become indispensable in the organization of his ocean races. From course preparation to monitoring at sea, Adrena is a true digital co-pilot, facilitating decision-making and contributing to the safety of skippers throughout their voyages.
Can you tell us about the genesis of Sirius Événements?
Sirius Événements was born in 2005 after 8 years of managing the Tour de France à la Voile; it was the desire to both benefit from the extraordinary experience of the Tour de France à la Voile and at the same time the desire to no longer be dedicated to a single event; and to seek out opportunities in both ocean racing and bay regattas to create new events; in fact, in 20 years of existence, SIRIUS has created and/or organized over 50 events.
Tell us more about the specific features of the three races you organize: the Globe40, the CIC MED CHANNEL RACE, and the CIC NORMANDY CHANNEL RACE (class 40 only,…).
These 3 events really complete each other; the CIC NORMANDY CHANNEL RACE has really been the master event for 15 years, a new concept of a 1000-mile course, a logistically simple event that can be held over a week’s racing; but above all a superb course between Normandy, the south-west English coast and Ireland. The CIC MED CHANNEL RACE is a brand-new event that aims to apply to the Mediterranean the recipe that worked so well in the English Channel. After the first edition, we can say that this project, starting and finishing in Marseille, has great potential; finally, the GLOBE40 is the great round-the-world dream, a project that surpasses all others in terms of duration, commitment and high standards; after a 1st edition in 2022/2023 in the midst of the Covid crisis and the start of the war in Ukraine, the 2nd edition is off to a more reasonable start, with a fine evolution of the fleet and the latest-generation scows. It’s a story that’s destined to become a major event on a human-scale round-the-world voyage.
Why choose Adrena as a partner?
For a player in ocean racing such as Sirius Événements, a partnership with ADRENA was an obvious choice. ADRENA has such a strong presence in the world of ocean racing that a partnership with ADRENA was inevitable; our international track record with the GLOBE40 also offered ADRENA the opportunity to expand even further internationally.
In your opinion, what role does technology have, such as the one developed by Adrena, in the success and safety of racing?
Over the past 20 years, ocean racing has come a long way in terms of safety and technological development. Among these developments, the availability of high-performance navigation and routing software that is up to date with the latest technologies has become an indispensable tool for event organizers and skippers alike.
Have routing tools become indispensable in ocean racing today, even for double-handed formats like yours?
Performance in ocean racing is no longer conceivable without modern navigation and routing tools, whether for skippers or organizers.
