A fire of unknown origin
While Lorient and the neighbouring Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly are preparing to celebrate the 20 years of the sailor's disappearance, another sad event has hit the submarine base. The Team France building, a French challenge led by Franck Cammas during the last America's Cup, was devastated by the flames. A fire, declared around 3.30 am on Saturday 9 June 2018, destroyed all the premises. The SDIS 56, local fire brigade command, had to mobilize about sixty fire soldiers, as well as 2 air ladders and the fire barge of the port of Lorient to overcome the fire.
Material damage
Fortunately, no one was injured as the incident took place outside working hours. On the other hand, the archives accumulated by the Groupama Team France teams and the IT equipment have gone up in smoke. According to information from our colleagues in the Telegram, a cruise catamaran, stored in the hangar, was also destroyed. The origin of the fire is still unknown.
A ship at the heart of the nautical world of Lorient
The"Challenges" building was a symbol of the reconversion of the site of the submarine base in Lorient. Built in 2001 to host the Areva Challenge for the 2003 America's Cup, the building had 3 floors and offered a surface area of 2800 m². It was one of the first stages in the development of the Lorient nautical and offshore racing centre. The city has since become the Breton capital of the sector, hosting the majority of large racing yachts and gathering a dense ecosystem of subcontracting companies for professional sailing stables.
