Thirty-one teams will compete in the Tour de France à la Voile, with the newly launched Diam 24 to be used for the first time.

The history of boats used began in 1978 with the Ecume de Mer, and then was followed by the First 30 (1979 to 1981), the Rush Royale (1982 and 1983), the Sélection 37 (1984 to 1991), the JOD 35 (1992 to 1998), the Farr 30 (1999 to 2010) and the M34 (2011 to 2014).

Like the previous boats, the Diam 24 is one-design boat. But the true revolution lies in the fact that the Diam 24 is a 7.25m trimaran ! This sport boat was designed by VPLP and built in Port La Forêt (France) by Vianney Ancelin.

The Tour de France à la Voile 2015 will be spread over three weeks from 3rd July to 26th July. The route will be made of 9 Acts, with the route crossing through the English Channel, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. The event will start in Dunkirk, where the Tour will stop for the 30th time, whilst the last Act will be set in Nice.

Photos by Christophe Launay of the Diam 24 One Design training session at the Pole Finistere Course au Large, Port-la-Forêt, Finistère, Brittany, France.