News

On Tuesday June 28th, between two showers and a shaft of light, Philip attempted to immortalize the impressive spectacle of the grand naval review celebrating the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson.
 
The Battle of Trafalgar, that took place on the 21st October 1805, ended Napoleon the 1st's dream of invading England, and simultaneously marked the beginning of a century where England's Naval power would rule the waves throughout the world.
 
At Cap Trafalgar, off Cadix in Spain, the 33 vessels of the Franco-Spanish flotilla suffered a gruelling defeat at the hands of the 27 boats of the Royal Navy. The result : 4,400 French and Spanish sailors died as against 446 British ones, but among those was Nelson. Nelson's greatest victory had cost him his life. Even today for the French the word "Trafalgar" is synonymous with bad luck...
 
The festivities started on Tuesday June 28th, with a gathering of an impressive international flotilla in the Solent, the sea passage between Portsmouth in the south of England and the Isle of Wight.
 
Queen Elizabeth the Second and the Duke of Edinburgh watched the boats pass before them from their view-point on HMS Endurance.
 
167 warships representing 36 different countries sailed side by side with twenty or so merchant navy ships and some 10,000 boats of all types and sizes, pleasure boats, motor yachts and sailing dinghies and old gaffers.
 
Philip Plisson brings a few images snatched at this exceptional moment. Difficult weather conditions meant that Philip had to cancel the helicopter that had been planned to cover the event.
 
In answer to an invitation from the Commander of the Val de Loire, Yvon Talarmin, and the Director of Communication for Brittany ferries, Philip Galouedec, Philip ended up sailing out of Saint Malo on Tuesday morning.
 
The Val de Loire arrived under heavy showers at 6 p.m., and slid past the flotilla as it made its way towards the ferry terminal. At 8 p.m., the sky was less threatening, the wind had fallen, and the participants for the "son et lumière" were getting ready, while we headed back to Saint Malo.