Sailing and paragliding: history of wind sports in Vierville

This press page presents the leisure and water activities of Omaha Beach during the 1969 season. It describes more than four kilometers of beach between Vierville and Saint-Laurent, halfway from Grandcamp-les-Bains and Port-en-Bessin, with two hundred hectares of sand at low tide and a maritime boulevard.

The article recalls the old fishing port, the Landing of June 6, 1944, the establishment and then the destruction by the storm of an artificial port. He points out the remains and monuments, including that of the National Guard inaugurated for the twenty-fifth anniversary, during which Mayor Michel Hardelay had found liberators of the commune. The historical narrative is that of this old page.

The presentation especially emphasizes the holidays: crab fishing, bouquets and mollusks in the rocks, fish near the pontoons, games and contests of the Friends of the beach, shady paths of the countryside, equestrian walks in the Vaumicel, Omaha club for children and nautical club for sailing lovers.

The Omaha Beach Water Club was created just over three years ago. Its president, Mr. Bordeaux, a former boat manufacturer in the Paris region, retired for two years, had been spending his holidays in Vierville for about twenty years before settling there. Originally from a family of sailors, he had chaired the Société nautique du Tour de Marne in Saint-Maur, belonged to the French Canoe-Kayak Federation, organized the Mâcon World Championships in 1954 and was captain of the French team. His son Claude, twenty times international, had been several times champion of France.

The committee was among the vice-chairs Mrs. Voisin and Mr. Desprez and the secretary Anne-Marie Durand. The position of treasurer was vacant after the recent death of René Garlot, very devoted to the club. Mr. Defortescu father took care of the sailing school, Me Baudet of the equipment, Patrice Bordeaux of the regattas, and François Loyer with Patrice Garlot of the leisure. Twenty-five licensees participated in competitions and about forty families contributed, representing seventy to eighty people. Everyone helped with activities and maintenance, the Verney family being presented as a pillar.

Open from Easter to autumn, the club was in full swing in July and August. His twenty boats included Caravelles, 420, 470, 485, Vauriens, Fireball and seven Optimist allowing children to start around seven or eight years old. The members were of all ages and all situations.

The clubhouse, set up the previous year by the sea thanks to a departmental grant, hosted meetings and a sailing school. The latter was sold out with twenty-four students on Caravelle, under the direction of national monitor François Durand and his deputy Éric Defortescu. Four crews were to represent the club among the thirty participants in the French Fireball championships in Pauillac, from August 3 to 7.

François Loyer and Patrice Garlot prepared several evenings and outings at sea per month, with picnics, especially to Port. A car rally and a méchoui in Saint-Marcouf were announced for August. Large regattas were to bring together about fifty crews from the coast on August 24.

The Omaha Club welcomed about thirty children under the guidance of lifeguard Serge Bouijoux, originally from Limoges and trained at the École normale supérieure de Paris according to the article. Helped by his wife, he offered games, daily competitions sponsored by major brands, swimming surveillance and swimming initiation. With the two lifeguards of the rescue station, he could pass the patents. The club's motor boat also allowed rides to the Pointe du Hoc and water skiing tours.

The general supervision of the beach was provided by Jean-Yves Caville, of the CRS of Nantes, for his third season in Vierville, and Raphaël Santisteban, peacekeeper in Béthune, for his first. Since July 1, no serious intervention had been reported.

A regatta reserved for women's crews had finally been able to take place on a Sunday despite a midday fog dissipated before departure. The published ranking was: 1. C. Durand and A.-M. Durand, Fireball 1948, three points; 2. A. Durand and C. Durand, Simoun 485 no 239, three points; 3. E. Defortescu and F. Durand, Fireball 2829, 8.7 points; 4. C. Verney and Mrs. Verney, 470 No. 1831, 13.7 points; 5. C. Coffignal and E. Bordeaux, Fireball 2269, twenty points. All crews were CNOB.

The regattas of the Omaha Beach Nautical Club were delayed on a Sunday morning due to bad weather and did not begin until the afternoon. About twenty boats from Vierville, Grandcamp, Elbeuf, Ver-sur-Mer and Paris played two rounds on rough seas, causing some desalination. The committee chaired by Mr. Bordeaux then established the results for the presentation of the cups and prizes, under the chairmanship of Fernand Vautier, general councilor, and Mr. Hardelay, mayor of Vierville.

In 470, Voisin–Voisin, of the CNOB, won in front of Poulain–Mlle Sicard, of the CVV, Chicot–Jean Casset, of the CMG, Montier–Dière, of the CNOB, Mr. and Mrs. Vieujot, of the CNOB, Mr. and Miss Busson, of the CMG, then Sorbier–Chabry, of the CMG. In Fireball, Patrice and Brigitte Bordeaux, from CNOB, preceded Cassignat–Mlle Durand and Desprez–Desprez, also from CNOB. In 420, Oustallet–Mlle Casset, of the CMG, overtook Rondeau–Mlle Moreau, of the YVP, then Blanchard–Legoupil, of the CNOB.

The general classification with disability placed Jean-Marie and Bruno Voisin in the lead, ahead of Patrice and Brigitte Bordeaux, Chicot–Casset, Poulain–Mlle Sicard, Oustallet–Oustallet, Cassignat–Mlle Durand, Desprez–Desprez, Loyer–Ms Durand, Miss Busson, Montier–Dière, M. and Mrs. Vieujot, Rondeau–Ms. Moreau, Oustallet–Ms Casset, Sorbier–Chabry, Jacottett–Chiard, Blanchard–Legoupil, Desprez–Ms Durand and Mr. Rudelle.

A second brief tells of a méchoui organized the previous Friday by the nautical clubs of Omaha Beach and Grandcamp-les-Bains. Forecasts announcing a violent gust of wind, which arrived only the following night, had prevented them from reaching the Saint-Marcouf Islands. The meeting had finally taken place in Mandeville-en-Bessin: seventy guests had shared two sheep, in an atmosphere of songs and guitars prolonged during the afternoon.

This presentation by Vierville highlights the diversity of leisure activities offered to summer visitors. At low tide, the long beach discovered playgrounds, rocks and the pontoons of the artificial port installed during the Landing of June 6, 1944, where fishermen searched for crabs, bouquets and shells. The Omaha Club offered children games, swimming lessons and swimming supervision. His motor boat was used for sea walks and water skiing.

Created five years earlier in Vierville, the Omaha Beach Nautical Club wanted to offer activities to young people, local families and holidaymakers. Sailing was his main activity. Initiation courses on Caravelles and Vauriens were divided into "borders" of fifteen days, including twelve sessions at sea, in the morning or afternoon depending on the tides and the weather. Private advanced training classes were also offered on Vaurien, 420, Fireball, 470 and 485, as well as on Optimist for young people. The instructors were graduates of the French Sailing Federation; regattas and training benefited from supervision and a security service.

Acquired two years ago, the clubhouse facing the sea hosted meetings and the sailing school. It included a bar, a secretariat and a veil room for the equipment. Méchouis, rallies, walks and evenings completed the program.

The newspaper recalls the participation of the CNOB in the French Fireball championships in Verdon, Gironde: the representatives cited, Eric Defortescu, François Durand and Bordeaux-Gentils, had obtained sixth and twelfth places. He attributes a part of the club's dynamism to its president, Mr. Bordeaux, who has been in office for almost two years. He had previously worked for the Tour de Marne nautical company and had been captain of the French canoeing team for ten years, participating in particular in the World Championships in Italy and the Melbourne Olympic Games.

The committee also included two vice-chairs, Ms. Voisinet and Mr. Desprez, Anne-Marie Durand as secretary, as well as Mr. Defortescu and Ms. Baudet. Patrice Bordeaux was in charge of the regattas; François Loyer and Patrice Gardot of the leisure. The three graduate instructors were François Durant, Dominique Blanchard and Jean Montier.

The club operated mainly in July and August, with about thirty boats: Caravelles, Vauriens, 420, 470, 485, Fireball and Optimist. For the announced season, he was to organize the League's Basse-Normandie championships in Optimist on July 14 and Fireball on August 11. A women's regatta was scheduled for August 2, the Nagys Cup for the 470 on August 15 and the club's great regattas, all series, on August 24. Outings and participation in the coast regattas completed these appointments. The contribution was set at 50 F per family, with special conditions for communities and groups. The article is signed F. Mr.

Gathered on a Thursday evening under the chairmanship of Mr. Bordeaux, the members of the CNOB took stock of their activities. The president thanked the sports and leisure organizers as well as the instructors Jean Montier, Dominique Blanchard and François Durand.

The secretary, Miss Durand, recalled the results: sixth place in the French Fireball championship, first and second places in the league championship of this series, and first place in the Optimist league championship. His position being too important for a single person, a deputy secretary was added to him.

Treasurer Francis Loyer considered the sailing school's rates insufficient. The assembly voted for their increase, as well as a personal contribution in addition to the family one. She also discussed a better distribution of labour.

The participants greeted Gégène, an old club car always useful for transporting boats on the beach. A screening by Dominique Blanchard on the club's activities closed the assembly.

Organized by the CNOB of Vierville, the Optimist league championship brought together sixty-four boats from three clubs: the SR de Courseulles, the CM de Grandcamp and the CNOB. Most of the competitors were twelve or thirteen years old.

Christophe Cordel won all four rounds. He won in a first race driven by the wind, then in a second calmer one. A very good start allowed him to win the third, before a new victory in the last heat.

The published ranking was as follows: 1st, Christophe Cordel, CVESQ-CNOB; 2nd, Luce de Tilly, SRC; 3rd, Lepley, CNG; 4th, Corpet, first of the CNOB sailing school; then Calhic, Chevallier, Junk, K. Vella and Mathy, all from the CNOB. Laplane, of the SRC, took tenth place, ahead of Thierry, of the CNOB, Carpenté, of the SRC, then Dominique Postel, of the SRC, first girl, ranked thirteenth.

The Omaha Beach Nautical Club organized its traditional tourist rally, prepared each year by the winning crew of the previous edition. The Durand family, with the help of Mrs. Verney, had traced a circuit of about 70 kilometers. Fourteen crews solved questions to discover a part of the Bessin: the tower of Baron Gérard, Balleroy, where everyone met for a picnic in the courtyard of the free school, Littry, with its market and the Museum of the Mine, then Trévières, the end of the walk.

Each crew had to come in disguise. The organizers thus welcomed Don Quixote, a gendarme and his thief, a washing machine, rescuers with their stretcher or a tramp. At the finish, a gymkhana on a 1936 Peugeot bicycle completed the events.

The final classification was as follows: Leroy crew, Oustalet crew, J.-M. Voisin, A. Coffignal, Mr. and Mrs. Voisin and Villedieu, J. Coffignal, Defortescu, Lemonnier, Mesnard, Loyer, Lebrec, Desprez and Beuscher. Mr. and Mrs. Leroy therefore had to prepare for the following year's rally.

The CNOB organized a Fireball league championship in Vierville-sur-Mer over two days and five rounds. Ten crews from six clubs raced in rough seas and strong winds two to three.

The published ranking gave: 1. Bordeaux-Dière, CNOB; 2. Cordel-Cordel, CNOB; 3. Defortescu-Gourdal, CNOB; 4. Mr. and Mrs. Paillé, SRCO; 5. Bazin-Coffignal, CNOB; 6. Mr. and Mrs. Le Gal, ONTH; 7. Boutot-Ribet, YCPW; 8. Coffignal and Miss Coffignal, CNOB; 9. Miss Durand-Bertier, CNOB; 10. Rondeau-Rondeau, CNV.

This montage brings together two articles on the summer activities of Vierville. The first announces the reopening of the Omaha Beach club led by Mr. and Mrs. Labarrière. About twenty children were welcomed every day from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with swimming, games, sports and beach competitions. Once a week, a competition was open to all summer visitors; the next one was scheduled for Thursday, July 18. A humorous hike for adults in the region was to start on Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m., with information at Mr. Legallois.

The second article notes a disappointing tourist attendance during the first half of July, then a filling after the 14th. The Friends of the Beach announced a rally-walk on Saturday 19, with departure and registration until 2:30 p.m. at Mr. Legallois: ten francs per car, five francs per passenger, surprise picnic included.

The Vaumicel equestrian club was preparing a day of dressage and a competition for Sunday 20. Directed by Hubert de Bellaigue de Bughas, he made about fifteen horses available. Beginners worked at the carousel before going for a walk after twenty hours of practice; the confirmed riders had cross and obstacles. The announced rates were twenty francs per hour, including insurance, one hundred and sixty francs for ten hours and three hundred francs for twenty hours; the annual subscription for schoolchildren and students cost one hundred and twenty francs.

A sailing school on Optimist operated daily at the Omaha Beach nautical club, with sessions from July 17 to 30 and then in August. The children's club, led by Messrs. Nedelec and Labarrière with two instructors, received the three-eleven year olds every day except Sunday, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Games and contests were organized every day and swimming lessons were offered in an indoor pool.

The regattas of the Omaha Beach Nautical Club took place on a Friday and a Saturday, in three rounds. Many dinghys participated in these events, contested by a wind of force 2 to 3. The final victory went to the Poulain crew on a 470, before an award ceremony at the clubhouse in a warm atmosphere.

In the first heat, Poulain–Poulain on 470 ahead of the Cordel brothers on Fireball, then Guyot–Davydoff on 470. In the second, the Cordel brothers took first place ahead of Poulain–Sicard out of 470.

The final ranking published placed Mr. and Mrs. Poulain, of the SRH, first out of 470, ahead of Duflocq–Duflocq, of the CV of Langrune, on Fireball, then Guyot–Davydoff on 470, of the CNOB.

The Omaha Beach Nautical Club offered a drink of friendship on Monday to its three instructors, Jérôme Gilles, Pascal Belver and Jean-Michel Robert, as well as to the rescuers of Vierville and Colleville and the CRS of Saint-Laurent. Supported by about forty families and chaired by Michel Benoist, the association noted a rather timid start to the 1996 season, like many tourism professionals.

His two federal monitors and his assistant monitor had prepared the season, including by repairing the fleet. This included two OBI 4, six Optimist, a KL 10, two 420 and a caravel designed to introduce sailing to the children of the airy center. The room had been refreshed and the initiation took place on a delimited body of water.

The club was still far from the 90 internships of the previous year, representing an attendance of 70 students over two weeks. Despite unfavorable weather for registrations, the president hoped to have to refuse children in August, once the internships were complete.

The CNOB organized the Fireball league championship over two days and four rounds. The first was run the previous Saturday at Grandcamp, on the occasion of the Six Hours; the second took place in Vierville with eight boats.

Despite a fairly strong wind on Sunday, the regatta went normally. Christophe and Martin Cordelle, from CNOB, won the round, ahead of Frédérique Cordelle and Yvon Thierry, Hervé Coffignal and Chantal Durand, then Gérard Coffignal and Catherine Coffignal.

The second-class crew had recently finished fifth at the French championship in Langrune and obtained its selection for the European Championship in Brest. The sailing school also announced eight- and fifteen-day courses, with information at the clubhouse located at the west end of Vierville beach.

Despite an unstable summer unfavorable for swimming, the Omaha Beach Yacht Club continued its sailing activities. The newspaper recalled its existence since the 1960s, followed by a period of quasi-stop and then a revival in 1982. It welcomed children from the age of seven or eight and adults for sailing and windsurfing, whether they are residents of the coast, the hinterland or vacationers.

The club was led by Thierry Vieujot, president, Pierre Chedal-Anglay, vice-president, Mr. Soudon, treasurer, and Mr. Benoist, deputy treasurer. The instructors recruited that year were Arnaud, Frédéric and Nathalie, students respectively from Rouen, the Paris region and Colleville-sur-Mer.

From July 1 to August 15, they taught classes from Monday to Friday, with an average of two trips of three and a half hours a day, then the storage and maintenance of equipment. A friendly evening often extended the weekend. The CNOB recorded about a hundred registrations per season, from the beginner to the experienced practitioner, especially among the families of the beach and neighboring villages.

The fleet included Optimist for starters, light dinghys and catamarans, including a Kat 10 Junior for children already initiated. A Hobie Cat 16, fast and intended for the most experienced, had just arrived.

The school ran by weeks. The mandatory FFV license cost forty-five francs for sixteen days of school, child or adult, or one hundred francs a year for a child and two hundred for an adult. A swimming license of at least fifty meters, which could be passed to the lifeguard post, was required. Course prices depended on the boat and decreased when several members of a family registered. The information was then given to the club, after the Vierville first aid station, or at 31 22 10 10 and 31 22 41 13.

After two weeks of activity, there was a slight decrease in attendance compared to previous years. Nevertheless, the newspaper emphasized the interest of the wind for sailing and presented this practice as a complete sport, collective or solitary, which required dealing with the air and the sea.

About thirty people met on a Tuesday evening at the town hall for the assembly of the Omaha Beach Nautical Club, chaired by Thierry Vieujot, in the presence of Mayor Jean-Marie Oxeant. Michel Benoit proposed to form an active management team and to rectify finances. Created in 1965, the club had experienced prosperous years before declining about ten years later. A recovery had been attempted in 1982, but the lack of volunteers and the exhaustion of goodwill still complicated management.

President for fourteen years, Thierry Vieujot proposed his resignation. The difficulties concerned the recruitment of quality instructors, a dangerous launch on a hold that had become impractical, the isolation of the premises and the theft or degradation it favored, insufficient attendance at the sailing school, the absence of real club life and the lack of storage and maintenance of boats. The two security Zodiacs had recently been sabotaged, causing a significant loss. The purchase of a tractor had been mentioned for the launch and the organization of regattas could, according to the participants, relaunch the animation.

A think tank, open to all interested parties, was to examine these issues as early as Friday. The CNOB owned 25 sailboats, most of which were in good condition despite some maintenance gaps. Twenty-one contributions had been recorded for the season. Summer activities had a deficit of 9,369 F; however, the club maintained a positive balance of 15,900 F, to be allocated primarily to buildings and safety equipment.

A new office was to be set up after the group's work. Michel Benoit also planned to open in July and August for vacationers, then in June and September for schoolchildren.

Twenty-six crews had shown up at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday for the beach regatta of the Omaha Beach Sailing School. The wind has long been missing. A slight sea breeze only appeared at the tide reversal, allowing the start at 4:15 p.m.

Beginners and confirmed crews then sailed in a good mood. Christophe and Yohann Cordelle won the dinghy category on their Fireball; Julien Desprez won among young people on Optimist.

After the ascent of the boats and the calculation of the results, cuts and prices were put back in a happy atmosphere. Matra and Dupont d'Isigny had helped gather the gifts. A glass of friendship and a collective photograph concluded this resumption of the regattas, presented as a sign of the vitality of the sailing school.

The Omaha Beach Nautical Club, Vierville's sailing school, resumed its activities on July 7. Its president Michel Benoist insisted on its openness to all and on its objective of developing sailing and sports activities for young people, while gradually building the conditions for permanent employment.

Guillaume Fournier, holder of the state patent since the previous year and already spent a season at Ouistreham, came to support Pascal, a federal monitor. The club wanted to improve its services and make itself known. Cooperation was envisaged with Port-en-Bessin: the latter would provide winter activities and Vierville would provide summer activities, by sharing the resources.

Two boats, designated in the text as a "9/20" and a "3/70", had been purchased to renew the fleet. Tractors allowed to practice regardless of the tide.

For the period from July 7 to August 9, the announced rates were 550 francs for the Optimist class, from eight years; 600 francs for dinghy, D420, D370 and Hobie Cat 14; 800 francs for the improvement on Hobie Cat 16. Group outings on Caravelle were offered on quote.

The mandatory FFV license cost 52 francs for a two-month child-school license, 110 francs for young people according to the reference "01/01/79" printed in the cut and 220 francs for the annual adult license. Parental authorization and a fifty-meter swimming license, or the FFV school booklet or passport, were requested at registration.

Five-day internships, three hours a day, were scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The information was then given by the club at 02 31 21 49 28 and by the neighboring initiative unions.

For the summer, the Omaha Beach Nautical Club has revised its organization. A federal instructor provided training under the guidance of Guillaume Fournier, a state-certified sailing instructor. The fleet had been restored and volunteers were also lending their equipment, explained President Michel Benoist. The club had catamarans, Optimist, 420 and Newcat.

The internships could accommodate four young people, twice a day for a week. At the end of the training, everyone received a federal booklet evaluating their time at school. The young people who attended the club at the time were 8 to 12 years old. The CNOB affirmed its vocation of tourist animation and sailing discovery, in conjunction with local organizations.

A collaboration with Port-en-Bessin was under study: summer activities would take place in Vierville with the equipment of the two structures, the winter ones in Port-en-Bessin. The project was to create a full-time sailing-instructor post and maintain a year-round activity.

The club announced a beach regatta on August 16, with two departures at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Registrations were scheduled on site from 9:30 a.m.; the information number communicated at the time was 02 31 21 49 28.

Already installed for several years in Colleville-sur-Mer, Eolia announced the summer opening of a second center in Vierville. The leaders presented the facilities on a Friday in the late afternoon to Michel Henry, president of the community of communes of Trévières, Jean-Marie Oxéant, mayor of Vierville, Patrick Thomines, mayor of Colleville, Christian Nisse, president of the ADTLB, and several municipal councilors.

Planned from July 1 to August 31, this center occupied premises loaned by the municipality to the west of the beach. It had to welcome groups and individuals to discover land yachting on the broad stretch of sand of Omaha Beach.

A cut dated Tuesday, July 8, 2008 announced the return of water activities in Vierville in the form of an antenna of the Eolia base. This project had been prepared for several years.

Laurent Guérin, head of Éolia, presented an offer of teaching and rental of light sailing, with four catamarans, as well as sea kayaks and sailing karts. The objective was to perpetuate the site and eventually create a job. The antenna was initially aimed at teenagers, in addition to the main base of Colleville.

Mayor Jean-Marie Oxéant wanted to encourage young people to frequent the seaside. Patrick Thomines, president of Intercom, described a long-term project to evolve the tourist offer throughout Omaha Beach. A second antenna was being studied in Saint-Laurent.

The Vierville base took over the premises of the former CNOB and sought to regain its spirit, in particular by restoring the reception of owners' boats. A state-certified instructor had to provide teaching at tide-dependent schedules. The other services were announced from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Omaha sailing club, the Eolia base, the intermunicipality and the municipality have opened a nautical antenna in the west part of the Vierville beach. Complementary to the Colleville base, it offered light sailing for 10-15 year olds, kayak rental and sailing karting. Laurent Guérin, from Eolia, announced Marie's daily presence for classes, as well as additional training for her. An opening from June to August was to be perpetuated in the following years.

Mayor Jean-Marie Oxéant saw in this installation a complement to the development of paragliding. A service for boat owners was also put in place: they could leave their boat in the parking lot, while one person would ensure the launch, exit, cleaning and storage of the equipment. The goal was to bring back the sailboats and recreate a club life.

The partners wanted to make Omaha a nautical hub, with the support of the region, the Department and other organizations. A project of sports activities for teenagers in Saint-Laurent was also envisaged. The article presented these initiatives as a response to the lack of nautical structures observed in the Bessin by the Directorate of Youth and Sports, and as a way to develop environmentally friendly leisure activities and to accompany schoolchildren.

The team of Eolia's graduate instructors, led by Laurent Guérin, offered activities in Vierville, Saint-Laurent and Colleville during the summer: land yachting, catamaran, rollerblading, badminton and, for the first time in the Bessin according to the article, longe-côte (sea walking).

Coming from Dunkirk, this aquatic walk with paddle was to be supervised by Morgane on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Saint-Laurent. An itinerary was prepared and then traveled at everyone's pace. The article attributed the invention to Thomas, a rowing coach at Sporting, looking for muscle and cardiovascular strengthening for his rowers without joint trauma. Laurent Guérin hoped for the public's support for this leisure activity.

The usual practices were maintained: land yachting, catamaran, kayak, water skiing and kite in Colleville and Vierville, with also skateboarding in Colleville. Saint-Laurent hosted beach soccer, beach volleyball, sandball and badminton. Sandrine had to organize a tournament for the youngest every Friday, in a different sport every week.

The sessions were adapted to the levels, for example gentle gymnastics or fitness in Saint-Laurent. To discover the coast differently, sea walks were also offered on twelve-seater boats, from the Pointe du Hoc to the Roc. The article is signed Murielle Bouchard.

One Saturday, Laurent Guerin and the Éolia management team launched the summer season at the three sites of Colleville, Saint-Laurent and Vierville. As the previous year, each site had a specialization: Colleville and Vierville hosted water sports, including catamarans, sailing and water skiing.

In Saint-Laurent, the team had been strengthened to offer fun, creative and sports activities for all ages. Sand paintings, role-playing games, land art and marble circuits were aimed at the youngest. Other participants could take gentle gymnastics and fitness sessions on Monday and Wednesday mornings, as well as tennis lessons.

The novelty of the year was the long coast, consisting of walking in the sea along the coast. The cut presented this activity as original and tonic and then indicated 02 31 22 26 21 for information.

The Omaha Beach Nature Center distinguished, in its program, water activities - sailing, sailing and sea kayaking - and activities presented as "health sports", including coasting and Nordic walking. In Colleville, Laurent Guérin described coast-long sessions that could accommodate up to 24 people: equipped with gloves, ankle boots and suits, the participants walked in the water for about three kilometers with the help of a paddle. Nordic walking was practiced on the beach or cliffs, for three to four kilometers, with a movement of stick thrust.

Gymnastics was offered from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. A day could continue with long-shore or Nordic walking from 10 a.m. to noon, then sailing in the afternoon. Hélène Dodier, double world champion, was licensed and host in Colleville. A free cliff run was also offered on Sunday mornings. These descriptions and benefits announced are those of the offer presented in the article.

Eleven salaried or volunteer animators, graduated in their discipline, intervened on three sites and eight kilometers of coastline. Colleville was dedicated to teaching, with six two- to three-seater catamarans, 36 sailing tanks for adults, fourteen for children, five two-seater kayaks and two single-seaters, a capacity of twelve people on a kayak trip. Initiation courses were offered to different audiences: individuals, groups, colonies or bachelor parties.

In Vierville, the antenna was dedicated to the rental and discovery of sliding and outdoor sports: kayak, catamaran, skimboard and stand-up paddle. In Saint-Laurent, Eolia had just opened a youth club, presented as a "relooked Mickey club". It operated from Monday to Thursday afternoons, with tournaments on Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Facilities were self-serviced on weekends for an additional €1.50. Young people could practice skateboarding, waveboarding, skimboard, skill games, trampoline, street arts, juggling, beach soccer and beach volleyball.

Activities were announced every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., depending on the tides and the weather. The indicative rates of the time were €10 per hour for kayaking, €30 to €40 for two hours of sailing, €40 for two hours of catamaran and €10 for coast-long or Nordic walking, equipment provided. Reservations were made at 02 31 22 26 21 or at eolia-normandie@wanadoo.fr. The article is signed F. B.

The second edition of the Omaha Beach Trail des Sables d'or was announced for Sunday, August 21, 2011. Three competitive courses of five, ten and twenty-five kilometers on marked trails and paths, as well as a one-kilometer fun course, started from the Braves monument in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer to return.

Laurent Guérin, head of the Omaha Beach Nature Center in Colleville and organizer under the aegis of the Intercom de Trévières, wanted to go from a simple race to a full day: hiking, treasure hunt for children and parents, catering and entertainment in a village. One hundred and thirty-eight volunteers were mobilized, compared to seventy the previous year.

After 283 riders in 2010, the organization hoped for five hundred. About one hundred and thirty pre-registrations were already registered, more than at the same time in the previous year. The article compared this progression to the difficulties of other races to recruit, citing the 368 participants of the Translutine de Luc-sur-Mer, compared to about double the usual.

Joël Routy, used to long trails, had accompanied Laurent Guérin on a Sunday to recognize twelve kilometers in an hour and fifteen. He stressed the importance of the mind on the twenty-five kilometers. The route brought together Vierville, Saint-Laurent, Colleville and Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes, giving the race a historical dimension linked to Omaha and the Landing. The article is signed F. B.

The second edition of the Omaha Beach Trail des Sables d'or was announced for Sunday, August 21, 2011. Three competitive distances of five, ten and twenty-five kilometers, as well as a one-kilometer fun course, had to leave and arrive in front of the Les Braves monument in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

Laurent Guérin, head of the Omaha Beach Nature Center in Colleville and organizer under the aegis of the Trévières intermunicipality, explained that the event would no longer be limited to a race. It would include hiking, treasure hunt for children and parents, catering and entertainment in a village. Seventy volunteers had helped in the first edition; one hundred and thirty-eight were preparing the second. The organizers hoped for five hundred participants and counted about one hundred and thirty pre-registrations on the previous Tuesday, more than at the same time last year.

The newspaper gave two different figures for 2010: 237 runners in the caption of the photograph and 283 participants in the body of the text. Their respective perimeter was not specified.

Joël Routy, accustomed to long trails, had accompanied Laurent Guérin to recognize the course. After twelve kilometers in 1 hour and 15 minutes, they insisted on the necessary mental effort and the historical dimension of the event. The routes brought together Vierville, Saint-Laurent, Colleville and Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes, through many vestiges of the Second World War.

Over the twenty-five kilometers, the runners had to first follow the Braves beach to Vierville, return to Saint-Laurent, then reach Colleville through the cliffs. Country trails would lead them to Sainte-Honorine before returning from the heights to Colleville, then through the beach to Saint-Laurent. Four supplies were planned.

The morning program announced at 9 a.m. a traditional or Nordic hike of twenty-five kilometers, at five euros. At 10 a.m. the three trails had to leave: twenty-five kilometers at fifteen euros, from the juniors; ten kilometers at ten euros, from the cadets; five kilometers at five euros, from the minimums. A barbecue was planned at noon at the Eolia village.

In the afternoon, the trail award ceremony was set at 2 p.m., at the same time as a five-kilometer hike at two euros. The one-kilometer Baby & Grandpa Rally was to start at 2:30 p.m., open from the age of four with an adult or from the age of seven without a companion. The hiking and rally lots were announced at 4:30 p.m.

Postal pre-registrations with Éolia Normandie in Colleville ended on Tuesday, August 16 at midnight; online registration at omaha-beach-trail.com remained possible until August 19. Confirmation and collection of bibs were scheduled for Saturday, August 20 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., or Sunday 21 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Registrations without prior pre-registration had to be increased by two euros.

The second edition of the Trail des Sables d'or, or Omaha Beach Trail, was announced for Sunday, August 21, 2011. Five days before the event, Laurent Guérin, organizer under the aegis of the Trévières intercommunality and head of the Colleville CPNOB, already had 300 registrants and hoped for 500 participants. The previous edition had brought together 283 runners and 70 volunteers. This time, 138 volunteers were preparing a full day: shopping, hiking, treasure hunts for children and their parents, catering and entertainment. The 25-kilometer route was the most requested.

The three competitive distances, of 5, 10 and 25 kilometers, started from the monument of the Braves, in St. Lawrence, and crossed the historic sector of Omaha. On the 25 kilometers, the runners had to reach Vierville by the beach, return to Saint-Laurent, reach Colleville by the cliffs, then Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes by the country roads. The return passed through the heights of Colleville before reaching Saint-Laurent by the beach, in the middle of remnants of the Second World War. Four refueling points were planned.

The program announced at 9 a.m. a traditional or Nordic hike of 25 kilometers, at a rate of €5. At 10 a.m. the trails left: 25 kilometers from the juniors for €15, 10 kilometers from the cadets for €10, and 5 kilometers from the minimums for €5. A barbecue was planned at noon at the Eolia village. At 2 p.m. took place the award ceremony of the trail and the start of a 5-kilometer hike at €2. The one-kilometer Baby & Papy Rallye had to leave at 2:30 p.m., accessible from four years old with an adult and from seven years old without a companion. The hiking and rally lots were delivered at 4:30 p.m. All departures and arrivals were opposite the Braves.

Pre-registrations were open until August 19, by mail or on omaha-beach-trail.com. Bibs could be picked up on Saturday, August 20 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. or on Sunday, August 21 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. A late registration resulted in a supplement of €2. The article is signed F. B.

The second edition of the Trail des Sables d'or brought together more than five hundred competitors from Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. The brief highlights the success of the event.

The cut announced a cleaning operation of the beach of Omaha Beach as part of the Ocean Initiatives. This mobilization of Surfrider Foundation Europe has brought together thousands of volunteers for seventeen years to clean beaches, banks and seabeds. The edition scheduled for March 22 to 25 had the slogan "Let's reduce our plastic footprint". The newspaper indicated that plastic then accounted for between sixty and ninety percent of the materials collected each year.

The Calvados antenna, hosted by Éolia Normandie and animated for four years by Dominique Louis, was preparing a cleaning of the six kilometers of Omaha on Sunday, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The three coastal municipalities had to provide the bags and remove the collected waste.

Volunteers were invited to present themselves with gloves at 2:15 p.m. at one of the three meeting points: the Aeolia base near the dike in Vierville, the Saint-Laurent rescue station or the Eolia base near the Belambra Club in Colleville. A snack was to end the meeting at the Colleville-sur-Mer base.

On the occasion of the 17th edition of the Ocean Initiatives, organized from March 22 to 25 by Surfrider Foundation, 800 gatherings were held in France and 31 other countries to remove waste from beaches, seabed, lakes and rivers.

On Sunday afternoon, the Calvados branch, hosted in Eolia Normandie and hosted for four years by Dominique Louis, brought together 70 volunteers at the sites of Vierville, Saint-Laurent and Colleville. Despite the cold and fog, they traveled six kilometers of beach for two hours and collected more than six cubic meters of waste.

A snack allowed participants to exchange after the pick-up. The three municipalities provided logistical support by ensuring the removal of waste.

Present in Omaha Beach since 1997, Eolia Normandie announced a new base in Vierville dedicated to paddling sports, including sea kayaking and stand-up paddle. The nature leisure center, open to all, then had one hundred and thirteen members and spread an extended offer over three sites.

Saint-Laurent offered fun activities especially in summer, such as waveboarding, kite and beach soccer. Colleville hosted the sailing tank, the catamaran, but also the coast, the trail, the Nordic walking and the soft gymnastics.

In Vierville, Jean-Baptiste Michardière had to supervise the activities under the direction of François Noguier, head of nautical base, from Bayeux and former member of the sports and youth department of Port-en-Bessin. A fleet of twenty-two boats and new stand-up paddle equipment were available. The base was to operate until the end of October, with a kayak fishing competition to close the season.

The opening was announced for Saturday, May 19: café-croissants welcome at 9 a.m., inauguration with the elected officials and discovery outing at sea.

On a sunny Saturday, Éolia Normandie inaugurated its sea kayak and stand up paddle base in Vierville-sur-Mer. After a welcome over a coffee and croissants, the elected officials of the territory proceeded to the inauguration with Laurent Guérin, president of the Omaha Beach Nature Center, the animators and Hélène Dodier.

General Councillor Jean-Pierre Richard recalled the old wish to develop activities on the coast. He saluted the work of the community of communes and the three coastal municipalities to meet the expectations of vacationers, residents and the hinterland. He congratulated Laurent Guérin and stressed the general council's interest in the files concerning Omaha Beach.

Sea kayaking, beach kayaking and stand up paddle outings allowed the public to discover these practices with state-certified instructors. About a hundred people then shared a barbecue with the members of the coastal section, who had moved its session for the occasion, and those of the Nordic walking, who went to explore the routes of Omaha in the afternoon.

The base was to remain open until the All Saints' Day holidays. The associative sector announced a kayak fishing competition on Saturday, October 6 to end its season. Courses, rentals and storage of boats or boards were among the proposed formulas.

Paragliding and hang gliding practitioners had a new flight location at the top of the cliffs of Vierville. AS Icare, in charge of the animation of the site, had just celebrated its thirtieth anniversary and brought together 178 pilot members. Its president, Jacques Legros, and its honorary president, Jean-Claude Labiche, appeared in the photograph of the new runway. The association recalled that its first president had begun to fly from the Colline aux Oiseaux in Caen.

After an initiation provided by specialized schools, the six instructors of Icarus offered a theoretical and practical improvement. In addition to Clécy, members frequented Bessin sites in Commes, Tracy and Vierville. They were already coming to Vierville in the 1980s, but the installation of a barrier along the cliff had then made takeoff difficult.

The municipality had acquired land to develop wind-related activities. A development, financed with the community of communes of Trévières and the European Leader + program, had been lawned by students of the vocational high school of Vire. Information panels and a remotely searchable weather beacon were to complete the site.

The association considered the place interesting, without an air trap according to its appreciation, to welcome local pilots or pilots from elsewhere. For 2006, it planned a week of development for women and air baptisms adapted for people with physical disabilities. Another school, Elementair, was to settle permanently in the region. The top of the cliff was presented as 25 meters high.

The access indicated followed the road to the L'Omaha campsite, then the path that runs along it. The contact details published at the time were: 135 rue de Bayeux, 14000 Caen; 06 71 37 41 79; president.asicare@free.fr.

Wind conditions prevented the planned demonstrations and baptisms, but the leaders of AS Icare and elected officials met to inaugurate the Vierville flight site.

Mayor Jean-Marie Oxéant recalled that pioneers had been using the cliffs for about twenty years, with difficulties in safety and crossing the fields. A plot had been acquired ten years earlier, then recently developed.

Jacques Legros, president of a club with nearly one hundred and eighty drivers, considered the take-off suitable for beginners and wanted to create a real free flight hub in the Bessin. The work had cost 16,900 euros, financed by Leader+, the general and regional councils and the communities of communes of Bayeux and Trévières.

Jean-Pierre Richard, president of the latter, wanted to develop activities that complement historical coastal tourism. Yves Dupin, president of the Free Flight Federation's league, also cited kite and kitesurfing among the practices compatible with natural spaces. The Élément Air school, based in Port-en-Bessin, trained new pilots.

During the two summer months, three SNSM rescuers ensured the safety of vacationers on the beach of Vierville-sur-Mer. The postmaster, David Bangoura, originally from Caen, was completing his eleventh season. Dominique Guillebeul, also from Caen, returned to Vierville for a fourth season. Nicolas Crellier, from La Rochelle, took his first position there.

Every day, the team watched the swimming from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. She also ensured the speed of the boats and the respect of the access trouts. Lifeguards displayed weather forecasts, tide times and water quality.

They provided first aid for small beach accidents. The post had radios, a Zodiac and a small infirmary. The number indicated by the coupure to reach the emergency services at that time was 02 31 22 40 24.

In an exercise organized in Vierville, a newfoundland joins a struggling veliplanker and brings him back to shore. Its owner, Céline Tonin, explains that Junkie also carried out real rescues, including that of an exhausted planker whose mast had broken on the Côte d'Azur. The newspaper presents Céline as the only woman in France combining the functions of professional firefighter and aquatic rescue dog handler.

Céline emphasizes that the animal always acts with a master lifeguard. It is a complementary means of rescue, like a board, a buoy or a canoe, and must never intervene alone. She mentions Pascal's dog, another lifeguard: on vacation in Corsica, the animal had rescued three tourists before dying of exhaustion, without protective harness, under the waves that broke near the shore.

Junkie remained attentive to the bathers. On a busy beach on the Côte d'Azur, his barking had thus drawn Céline's attention to a child drowning. The dog knew about thirty voice orders and her owner estimated that she could memorize about eighty instructions.

Welcomed by the SNSM, Céline and Junkie watched the beach of Vierville during the month of August alongside David and Nicolas, two other seasonal workers. The duo aroused the curiosity of the public and made it possible to raise awareness of the work of rescuers at sea. The article is signed Arnaud Wajdzik.

The SNSM rescue station opened on July 1 with three rescuers. Ryan Langlois, a native of Caen, was a postmaster with four years of experience. Mathilde, from Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes, had been a qualified lifeguard for two years. Sabine Andries, from Palavas-les-Flots, was doing her first season and was to be replaced in August.

The permanence was provided from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., as well as on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The team had an infirmary with oxygenation equipment and a Zodiac.

Every day, rescuers informed the public about the weather, water temperature and bathing conditions. At the time of the report, they did not have to intervene and had above all given information on the marking and channel of the boats.

Since July 3, three SNSM rescuers were installed by the sea in Vierville to monitor the bathing area until the end of the summer. The text presented Franck Caneva as postmaster, assisted by Nicolas Cornille, qualified lifeguard, and Aurélie Holle, lifeguard.

The team was on duty from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. That year, a rescuer remained on duty during the lunch break. In addition to the safety of bathers, their missions included respect for bathing areas and boat access channels, as well as prevention and public information.

A new Algeco improved the working conditions of the position, also equipped with an infirmary for the first interventions. At the beginning of the week, the rescuers rescued a hiker on the coastal trail, then transported him to his care by the firefighters for an evacuation to the Bayeux hospital.

A dozen friends, referring to themselves as the Net'Toyeurs, cleaned part of the Vierville beach. They carried out this action as citizens, without belonging to an association or organization. The previous year, they had already carried out a cleaning in Grandcamp-Maisy.

In four hours, the group filled fifty bags of one hundred liters, mainly of plastic and metal waste brought by the sea. The bags were deposited on the edge of the coast, leaving the participants to the municipality to remove and treat them.

The legend presents Olivier Hamel with Xavier, Chloé and Steve. They watched over the beach of Vierville-sur-Mer and were ready to respond to the small incidents encountered by the bathers.

A new team of three SNSM rescuers had been stationed in Vierville-sur-Mer since August 1. Olivier Hamel, head of the station, presented it on the photograph.

Jean-Louis Dupuis, a native of Lyon and six years at the SNSM, was a postmaster. His assistant, Pauline Dergerette, came from Doubs and had been practicing for four years. Clémence Lemaître, from Châteauroux, was doing her first season and was already present in Vierville in July.

The beginning of the month was as calm as the weather. With about 20 °C in the air and 17 °C in the water, swimming attracted few people. Supervisors hoped for more tourist attendance during the rest of the month.

The position was then open every day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with continuous service on weekends and holidays.

Olivier Hamel, president of the station, welcomed three rescuers from the Société nationale de sauvetage en mare to ensure the surveillance of Vierville. After several experiences in Brittany, Damien Romani-Cortes took over for the first time the direction of a position. Pauline Bergeretti found a beach where she had already worked in 2008. Romain Blivet, who came from the center of Quimper, was to stay for two months.

The article announced surveillance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the weekdays mentioned, and from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays. The post number published at the time was 02 31 22 40 24.

Jean-Marc Benoit was to lead the Vierville first aid station during the month of August. He was doing his fourth season in the commune and his nineteenth as a lifeguard. Robert Jimenez, who came from the center of Marseille and wanted to discover different regions, supported him. Romain Blivet completed the team after his July experience on the same beach.

Rescuers insisted on prevention, which recent incidents in Colleville had shown the importance. They invited users to find out about the tides, dangers, instructions and colors of the flags. Their orange t-shirts made it easier to find them.

Surveillance was then provided from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Sundays and public holidays from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The team remained available at the beach or at the post to inform the public.