The iconic Guernsey sailing series returns for the 14th year

The first races in the 14th Louvre Autumn Sailing Series take place this weekend.

Five classes of yachts and dinghies will make up the handicapped race challenge. Competitors will accrue points over several weekends throughout September and October.

The series will see sailors taking on courses around Brehon Tower and the Lower Heads.  The classes will contest at least one longer distance race with a navigational element during the series. This could include rounding rocks off the east coast of Herm or on the south coast of Guernsey, depending on the weather and tides.

Louvre Group CEO Derek Baudains said: “We are delighted that through our support this sailing series can continue.  It’s a great fixture on the local sailing calendar and provides a platform for not only experienced sailors to test their capabilities but also the Club’s younger dinghy sailors.”

The event will welcome a number of new entrants, and a recent change in the handicap system leaves the field wide open.

Guernsey Yacht Club (GYC) Rear Commodore Sail, Roger Martel, said: “The GYC would very much like to thank Derek Baudains and Louvre Group for their continued support of the Club through the sponsorship of the Autumn Series which over the years has become a firm favourite for all skippers.”

The sailing series is an iconic fixture on the local calendar and the long-term sponsorship from Louvre Group has made staging the event possible for over a decade.

The series culminates in an all-class race at the end of October followed by a prize-giving event.