This race is listed in the Top 10 sea rowing competitions in the world (source FISA) and enjoys strong media coverage locally, in the other Channel Islands and in France.
The course links the port of Gorey, on the east coast of Jersey, to that of Carteret, during a 28km raid. The only obligatory passage is the Ecrevière buoy, approximately halfway through, where crews are registered by a pointer boat.
The event brings together more than 250 rowers from all over the world every year including: England, France, Norway, Italy, Holland, France and of course the Channel Islands.
The race starts on a Saturday morning, when competitors meet on the beach to listen to instructions and prepare for the departure, which is given in an exceptional setting, under the Mont-Orgueil Castle. On arrival in the Carteret channel, spectators and volunteers offer encouragement with thunderous applause for the rowers in their final efforts.
The day continues with a concert and the award ceremony. Volunteers, rowers, boaters and fishermen meet for a drink and dinner, followed by a dance party where many links are forged. Finally, the night ends, for the more adventurous, at the bar of La Potinière, on the beach of Carteret.
