Amateur fishers incredibly keen at the 2019 Barracuda Tour
A leading no-kill fishing competition!
The recent Barracuda Tour was proof that the event created by BENETEAU in 2013 has become a leading no-kill seawater fishing competition event in France and abroad.Navionics won this year’s event, which took place at Port du Crouesty in Arzon (Morbihan), from 10 to 18 may 2019. They took the lead in the Grand Finale ahead of Railblaza Chantereyne (BENETEAU Cherbourg), which took 2nd and 3rd place respectively, for the third year running.
SO HOW DID THE 2019 EVENT GO ?
2019 promised to be an excellent year, since the BARRACUDA TOUR has now reached maturity with everything running smoothly, the BENETEAU teams in full control, and anglers eager to take part! The figures did not disappoint: 150 teams, 600 participants from 19 countries, 60 BARRACUDA 7, 8 and 9 powerboats provided, 80 Suzuki engines installed by interns from the Professional maritime training school in Etel and no less than 20 partners who provided the contenders with their considerable expertise and the best products, to make this seventh BARRACUDA TOUR a resounding success!
Over the two weekends, the contenders fished alternatively in the wonderful angling grounds of the Gulf of Morbihan, where the 2nd most powerful current in Europe, La Jument, exits close to Port Navalo in the Gulf, and also in the waters of the beautifully wild islands of Houat and Hoëdic. The rocky islands that are the homes of colonies of gannets and seals, and did not provide the teams with as many bass catches as in previous years. The catches required hard work using casting wide with shad lures or using the electronic systems to find small isolated shoals of bass and then sweeping the board.
AN INERNATIONAL YEAR
Normally full of fish, the fishing grounds of the Gulf of Morbihan did not turn out to be as good as usual for bass fishing this year, due to high pressure weather conditions. However, the Breton bass seemed less wary of some of the international contenders in the amateur challenge and the Spanish Nautivela L’Escala team fared much better, winning the right to return for the Grand Finale.
In the final stages, following the open days when our partners welcomed their customers, suppliers and employees in the village, the mood changed a little. Again, two teams from abroad were quick to leave their mark: Team Nordic and Team Baltic finished first and second of their pool respectively. In the end, the highly international Navionics team came first in the overall ranking of the Grand Finale, ahead of a regular participant, the highly organised team of Railblaza. The Chantereyne boatyard, a BENETEAU dealer, took the last podium place.
Nautivela L'Escala (Spain)
Team Baltic (Norway& Lithuania)
FISHING BACK ON SHORE
While the boats were competing at sea, a ‘Rock Fishing’ event took place ashore, organized by the Fish à l’Affiche association. Around forty children, aged between 7 and 14, lined up on the pontoons for their own competition, using professional equipment! It was a wonderful initiative for these youngsters who pitted their skills against each other catching bass and gobies on the pontoons of Port Crouesty at the foot of the village. This village was coordinated wonderfully by Frédéric BRILLOUX and visited by a large number of people interested in seeing our partners stands and seawater fishing activities.
Demonstration of how to trigger life jackets (Forwater)
Well done to all the outstanding contenders who were determined to remain confident and motivated. Well done also to the organisers, volunteers and partners, without whom the Barracuda Tour would not exist and this would leave a great hole in no-kill sport fishing in France, an event that promotes the values of social cohesion, sportsmanship and respect. At the end of the event all the teams drank one last time with their environmentally friendly 2019 Barracuda Tour cup and said they would return next year!
