The picturesque harbour of Fowey has been chosen by the French organisers of Sailtica as the midway point in a prestigious 500-mile race from Pornichet in Southern Brittany.

French yachtsmen love nothing better than to Channel-hop, with Plymouth, Looe and Falmouth being especially popular destinations.

But this is the first time that the organisers of the biennial race have chosen Fowey – the fleet of cruisers and multihulls usually heads south down through the Bay of Biscay for San Vicente in Northern Spain.

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