The New Zealand connection in France go far beyond our soldiers’ service on the Western Front during the First World War. Today, many Kiwi businesses have offices in France, and dozens of New Zealand sportspersons apply their crafts on French soil.
And while the French will typically think first of our rugby players, the people of the city of Lorient, Brittany, which instead jump to our stars in another sport: off-shore sailing.
New Zealand has real heritage in this space, notably in what is now called The Ocean Race, won by Sir Peter Blake in 1989-90 under its previous moniker, the Whitbread Round the World Race.
Although Auckland claims to be the City of Sails, it is Lorient that sits at the centre of the windswept world. For this very reason, Kiwi sailor Conrad Colman has determined to set up Aotearoa Ocean Racing (AOR) in the Breton city as a new challenger for The Ocean Race.
Conrad and AOR CEO Rowan Gyde recently held a symposium in Lorient where yachting professionals and France-based Kiwis were invited to learn more about this project to get New Zealand off-shore sailors back on the podium. Attendees were treated to tales of Conrad’s four previous circumnavigations and tours of Lorient’s finest shipyards, where state-of-the-art technology meets ancient nautical know-how.
Te Arawhata’s Jacob Siermans attended the event and shared the story of the liberation of Le Quesnoy with the group. He drew a link between the New Zealand Rifle Brigade’s entry into the town by ladder and Conrad’s decision to be the first Vendée Globe competitor to complete the race without burning fossil fuels – neither method was conventional, but given the circumstances, each was the right thing to do.
The two-day event deepened attendees’ appreciation for the connection between France and Aotearoa. Despite being 19,000 km apart and home to different languages, we share so much – especially when on the high seas.
We would like to give special thanks to Rowan for his invitation to this outstanding event, and wish AOR all the best for its upcoming racing!
