> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ilesanglo-normandes.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The sea between us | The Breton town sailing through the night to Guernsey for 50 years - URL: https://www.ilesanglo-normandes.com/the-seas-between-us-the-breton-town-sailing-through-the-night-to-guernsey-for-50-years-2/ - Published: 2026-08-07T07:31:43.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-28T19:46:16.000Z - Author: îles - Tags: Bretagne, Guernési On a May weekend in 1976, a group of sailors set out on the 150km journey from Morlaix to St Peter Port. Fifty years on, what began as a friendly race between eight yachts is the second-largest regatta in Brittany’s Finistère département. Founded by Jean-Luc Troussel, then-president of Morlaix Yacht Club, the regatta has helped kickstart the sailing careers of some of France’s current champions, including his son, Nicolas Troussel. In January, Nicolas was one of seven crew that won the Trophée Jules Verne, setting a new world record for the fastest non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the world. > "I ended up doing it every year; it's the regatta of the year for the people of Morlaix" - Nicolas Troussel Officially, 2026 marks only the 41st edition of the race – the count beginning in 1983 when Brittany’s second-largest newspaper, *Le Télégramme*, became the official sponsor and the event was formalised under the name 'Le Télégramme Tresco Trophée'. Among islanders, however, the race has kept the name 'La Morlaix', after the Breton town with its famed viaduct from where it hails, and where it began a half-centenary ago. Guernsey visitors to Morlaix today may find they don't have to explain where home is. "Guernsey is in the Tresco’s DNA," says Marc Jégou, current president of Morlaix Yacht Club. “What makes the race unique, is sailing by night,” says Jégou. “There are very few nighttime regattas. For about half the competitors, it’s the first time they’re navigating in the dark.” > “Between the French coast and Guernsey, there comes a point where you see nothing.” When Jégou first sailed over as a youngster with his father, a compass and a radio were their only instruments. “We were properly navigating. When we’d spot Guernsey, we were so happy, as there was always the element of the unknown.” While GPS technology has simplified the navigation, the administrative part has become more complicated. “Three years of Covid restrictions, then passports required and, in 2026, the ETA (Electronic Travel Agreement) which will slow down tourism,” explains Jégou. Over its five decades, the race has been a rite of passage for some 30,000 competitors. In its Nineties heyday, as many as 145 yachts took part. This year, storm conditions meant only 44 yachts decided to head to St Peter Port on 16 May, after a one-day delay from Roscoff. To still give competitors time on the island, organisers pushed back the return leg to an afternoon departure. > “Without Guernsey, we’d have maybe 20 boats taking part." The first of around 30 rallies and regattas that take place in Guernsey every summer, in Guernsey, La Morlaix's arrival is among the year’s busiest trading days for Surf & Turf - with a 150 kilo crab order for their traditional pontoon party on arrival and the Terrace Garden Café, where the Morlaix’s arrival is typically second only to Liberation day. Le Télégramme Tresco Trophée remains Brittany's Finistère départment's second biggest after the [Tour de Finistere](https://www.cdv29.com/tour-du-finistere-a-la-voile/?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com), which just celebrated its 40th edition. > “It’s the race for learning to sail on the high seas” - Nicolas Troussel, sailing champion One of the world's seven fastest sailors sailed for the first time at night, during the Tresco. In January, [Nicolas Troussel](https://www.nicolastroussel.fr/?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com), son of Jean-Luc Troussel who first launched the regatta back in 1976, became Morlaix’s fastest man around the world after his team [broke the record](https://www.nicolastroussel.fr/2026/02/05/chapitre-5record-battu/?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com) to win the Trophée Jules Verne in 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes. > *"We were really pleased to beat the world record for the crewed round-the-world race. We’d been hoping to get the time down to under 40 days, but we were held up by a storm off the coast of Spain. "* **Nicolas Troussel:** *"The Tresco was the first time I’d ever spent a night racing. We’re often, inevitably, restricted to sailing along rivers or close to the coast, so we don’t get that open sea experience. With the Tresco, it’s a night at sea. Part of my training and my skillset, my ability to quickly feel at ease with offshore racing, was because I’d done that race.* *I ended up doing it every year; it's the regatta of the year for the people of Morlaix"* > *Back then we’d set off in nothing but jeans, overalls that weren’t even waterproof and didn’t keep you warm.* *Back then we’d set off in nothing but jeans, overalls that weren’t even waterproof and didn’t keep you warm. I bought my first proper sailor’s oilskin in Guernsey. It was cheaper back then, lots of French people did that.* *Guernsey is the first ‘somewhat distant’ destination we’d set our sights on from Morlaix, it felt a bit like an adventure to go there at the time, a real change of scenery, like arriving in another country. It’s really special to have that feeling when you’re setting off by boat.* *From Morlaix, it takes an hour to sail up the river – that’s part of the race, part of its charm: passing through the locks. Night falls relatively quickly; you’re in Morlaix bay with all its rocks, so you’ve got to be careful not to make any mistakes.* > *Night falls relatively quickly; you’re in Morlaix bay with all its rocks, so you’ve got to be careful not to make any mistakes.* *It's the race for learning to sail on the high seas. You’re out at sea straight away; everything takes place on the high seas, straight out facing the elements.* *Every time, all sorts of things happen; in the end, the boats catch up with each other, and we tally things up when we arrive in Guernsey. A mate fell overboard off Perros-Guirec – it’s happened several times; we fished him out of the water. My dad told me once they’d all had to fly back, leave the boats there and come back to collect them later on.* > *My dad told me once they’d all had to fly back, leave the boats there and come back to collect them later on.* *The race itself is brilliant, and then there's the really festive atmosphere in Guernsey, with a party on Thursday evening, then I'd do a tour of the island on Friday. I loved cycling round the island; great memories.* *Sailing, water sports in general, is a highly valued economic sector in Brittany. We’re lucky to have companies that want to promote themselves through sailing and offshore racing in general, which opens up opportunities to earn a living, many people work in the water sports industry.* > *The Tresco will always be special to me, my father remained very attached to this race* *The Tresco will always be special to me, my father remained very attached to this race As he spoke English well, he’d go to Guernsey every year to organise with the various yacht club presidents after him, so he kept up connections with the people of Guernsey. He loved visiting Victor Hugo’s house every time he went. He’s 84 now.* *It’s quite extraordinary to see something that’s lasted so long, that’s so deeply rooted –English skippers came to take part in the second leg once. It’s important to re-boost participation, so that there are 100 boats again.”* ### Le Télégramme Tresco Trophée, 'La Morlaix', returns to Guernsey in May 2027 To attract more participants, Morlaix Yacht Club plans to begin informing potential competitors how to apply for Guernsey’s ETA from September. Jégou is also developing partnerships to celebrate the town of Morlaix in Guernsey and the island of Guernsey in Morlaix in the lead-up to and during the race. [le site du Yacht-Club de Morlaix![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/icon/favicon-4b3788ca-af6b-444e-94e2-951cd94b1e46.ico)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d1/c7/d1c79ccb-3da4-4ed2-8fda-9b60db236f61/content/images/thumbnail/logo_fleche_rouge_vers_le_bas-ff792fc4-4c90-4a21-aed0-ceffad762d4c.jpeg)](https://www.yc-morlaix.com/?ref=ilesanglo-normandes.com)