HQ Race Paris - Vendée Globe
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Introduction

From 10th november until the end of january 2009, the Vendée Globe is in Paris. The race is setting up its HQ at the foot of the Tour Montparnasse. This place, which is the real lungs of the event, operating as a link between the racers and shore, will be working 24 hours a day, with the race directors based here keeping a constant eye on the competitors taking part in this race around the world. This 700 square metre area will be open to the public everyday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The hall will allow up to 200 people to attend the radio sessions with the racers, which take place every day at 11 a.m. In this area open to the general public, when radio sessions are not underway, along with its partners, the Vendée private-public partnership will be putting on events, in particular, displaying the use of satellite data, for safety purposes, as well as for studying the oceans and meteorology. Those people, who are keenly interested in the race will be able to attend the weekly Vendée Globe radio broadcast at Race HQ, taking place live in front of an audience and looking back on the week with analyses and commentaries from a number of guests. Apart from the race directors’ area and the hall that will be open to the general public, Race HQ will also include an area given over to the PR operations of partners and the sponsors of the boats. There will also be a pressroom here open to French and foreign media correspondents. The editorial teams are also based at Race HQ.

Press Center

The race, day by day. From the editing and production rooms at Race HQ in Paris, the audiovisual production team will be receiving pictures from the skippers on their computer servers around the clock. From these premises, they will produce a daily summary of the race, which will then be broadcast on the official website and TV stations.
Thanks to high-capacity fibre optic cables linking Race HQ to satellite broadcast stations, they will thus be beaming out pictures around the world.
The audio-visual production crew will be receiving pictures sent by the skippers and each day will produce a summary of the race, which will then be shown on the official website, as well as on various TV stations. The editorial team in charge of the official website, www.vendeeglobe.org.
Please note that the radio sessions will exceptionally be taking place at the Vendée stand at the Paris Boat Show from 5th to 14th December 2008.
A first!

It was important, given the exceptional line-up of this edition of the Vendée Globe, to create a first concerning the presence of the race here. Throughout the whole race, the Tour Montparnasse will be displaying the colours of the Vendée Globe.
The official race poster will cover almost 3000 square metres of the western side of the tower between the 30th and 54th floor of the Tour Montparnasse. This feature will be visible from all over the centre and west of Paris. The giant poster will be put in place between the 18th October and the start of the race. At the same time, a 140 square metre display will indicate the presence of Race HQ on the open area in front of Montparnasse Railway Station.
This will be the first time since its completion in 1972 that the tower will be displaying colours other than its own. The involvement of the co-owners of the Tour Montparnasse was crucial in allowing this to happen for the first time.

Horaires public: 10 a.m - 7 p.m Horaire média: 5 a.m - 9 p.m