Organised by 50 students students from a French Business School, located in Lille (North of France) and NICE (French Riviera), called the EDHEC Business School, this competition is the largest European sporting event for students, and especially the largest sailing race organized for students. So it is a race where very motivated students and famous skippers such as Marc Thiercelin, Joe Seeten, Franck Cammas... come to compete and to share moments of conviviality.

This student association is composed of 51 students from the Edhec Business School. They are all between 20 and 23 years old, are in charge of all the organisation from the beginning to the end and their responsiblity is engaged everywhere and at any time during the Race. The work which is necessary to prepare this event is realised during the whole school year and they actually have to manage everything: the boats location, the building of our Village, the organisation of the parties, the distribution of food...

Taking part to the Edhec Cup (Course Croisière Edhec in French) is an opportunity to live an amazing and unique experience. It's a magic mix between sport and entertainment, in a convivial and fair play atmosphere with the possibility to enjoy continuous exchange with students from all around the world.

Sailing man or not, there are several ways to participate in the Edhec Boat Cup: the Sea Trophy, the Land Trophy, the Village or the Training Regattas.

The Sea Trophy

The historical sport is sailing. More than 200 crews from all around the world take part to this sailing competition. French and international students (Canada, Brasil, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, New Zealand...) come and compete in the most beautiful French harbours. There are two ways to take part in the Sea Trophy:

• The 100% Students trophy for students or recently graduated
• The International trophy, to sail with foreign students and fight for the colors of your country. You can either come from the same country or set a mixed crew.

The Land Trophy

More than a regatta, the Edhec Boat Cup is also a trek in the local hinterland. The Land Trophy is a sport challenge, that gives you the opportunity to discover the landscape. With a compass, on foot or on a bike, you will have to find your way through forests, beaches... You will so discover the Land across the Sea... There also will be questions during each leg, concerning the culture and the history of the region. This trophy is limited to 110 teams. Each team will have to be composed of 3 to 5 members, but only 3 of them will compete on each leg. Teams can be mixed, or not. During 6 days, you will have to deal with several activities such as canoeing, abseiling... Students come in order to support their sailor friends and this adventure enables them to discover the landscape of the region. Each year, there are more than 110 teams who take up the challenge of the Land Trophy.

The Village

The village is the sensitive spot of the Edhec Boat Cup.Within these 10,000 sq.m, students, sponsors, journalists, skippers, race comitee, organization team, doctors, safety team, elected local body, visitors will live together during one week. And in the evening, all the students can meet under the marquee to experience the madness of student parties. Beach volley, rugby, football... The student spirit is everywhere. The atmosphere is convivial and really friendly. Also, every night, a huge party that gathers more than 2500 students is organised under a 1 200 sq. m marquee with an outstanding sound and lightning system.

Historical

• 1969: Three students from the Edhec Business School decide to share their love for sailing by creating the European Business School Cup. 19 crews answer to that call and gather in Dunkerque in May.
• 1973: 65 registrations for the 5th edition and foreign crews take part to the event for the first time. The race becomes international.
• 1975: The name of the event becomes the "Course Croisière Edhec" (Edhec Cup for the international). 107 boats and about 600 students gather around an "Edhec spirit". The eighties consecrate this great sailing festival.
• 1980: One round in Guernsey, England, during the 11th edition shows the international vocation of the event.
• 1982: Brest becomes the home port of the Edhec Cup. The sponsoring is born and more and more students are mobilized during the whole year to prepare a week of sport competition.
• 1985: It is a record year: 350 crews come to La Rochelle for the 17th edition. The nineties will be the golden age for ports such as La Rochelle, Lorient and Les Sables d'Olonne.
• 1994: The Edhec Cup creates the Land Trophy and the French Student Cup that organises training week-ends during the school year.
• 2000: A special navigation area for monotypes: the sport level of the Edhec Cup is now worthy of the main nautical competitions as an answer to the expectations of the participants
• 2003: It is the 35th anniversary of the Edhec Cup and the 10th anniversary of the Land trophy and the French Student Cup.
• 2005: The Edhec Cup takes place in Les Sables d'Olonne the same year as the Vendée Globe. Crews will sail only 2 months after the arrival of the candidates of the Vendée Globe.
• 2008 : The competition celebrates its 40 years in Les Sables-d'Olonne (19-26 April). Maud Fontenoy and Patrick Poivre d'Arvor are the godfathers of this birthday edition. In the same time, the Land Trophy celebrates its 15 years.

Associated sailing cups

The Edhec cup is associated with the Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC). The 100%-student winning team at the Edhec Cup is selected to take part to the Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC) organized by students of the Ecole Polytechnique, France.

External links

• Official website of the Edhec Cup organisation
• Official website of the Edhec Business School