The COYCH
Cercle d’Organisation de Yachting de Compétition Hyérois
Who are we?
The COYCH
The C.O.Y.C.H. is a Sports Club, one of our goals is to train regatta sailors and bring them to the highest level. At the same time, we develop activities of sailing schools, club schools and leisure activities. We are also organisers of many nautical events (regattas from the departmental criterium to international regattas).
Sailing Club created in 1982, affiliated to the French Sailing Federation, approved for Youth and Sport, with the labels Ecole Française de Voile, Voile Loisirs, Equipe de Club and Equipe Compétition.
The COYCH is :
Nearly 800 licensees in 2020
4 dynamic sections: cruisers, dinghies, multihulls, optimist
The practice of competition at all levels and the setting up of regular training sessions (sports schools) supervised by high level athletic coaches.
Significant sporting results with many champions and numerous titles (see prize list)
A stable management team, made up of dedicated and competent volunteers, with a strong presence at the club and at all the regattas organised.
Qualified technical staff and a secretariat, which organises COYCH actions all year round.
The organisation of major nautical events
A structure for teaching sailing on five media (Optimist, Laser, Hobie Cat Dragoons, HC 16 and Surprises) annually and seasonally as part of the French Sailing School.
Training sessions and sports schools take place on Wednesdays and weekends and are supervised by qualified and often high-level coaches. They are practiced in Optimist, Laser 4.7, radial and standard, Hobie cat and First class 8 but also in Melges 24 as 4 boats of this class are stationed in Hyères.
These regular training sessions have led many members of the COYCH to the highest steps of the podium and to remarkable performances such as a triple victory (2005, 2007 and 2012) in the Tour de France à la voile.
Our team
Sophie Barrue
Executive secretary
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In this position since 1997, Sophie has been in charge of the administrative organisation of the club and its daily operations.
With two of her children among the best French laser sailors and her husband, a former member of the France Laser team (and still racing), she knows perfectly well how the practice of sailing in France, both sporting and administrative.
Sophie is more particularly in charge within the club :
- Daily administrative and financial management.
- The administrative and “land” management of the COYCH regattas
- The setting up, management and development of sailing schools (winter and summer)
- Reception of members and licensees
- The daily external communication of the COYCH (website, social networks, internet) in collaboration with the webmaster of the Club.
Cédric Boéri
Sports Educator & Coach
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After a brilliant sporting career in Laser (French number 1 in Radial in 2009 and still practising), Cédric joined the COYCH team in 2011 just after obtaining his BPJEPS, to take charge of the Optimist then Laser competition team.
In the summer, he is in charge of the COYCH sailing school at the start of the nautical base, he is heavily involved in the organisation of the regattas by preparing their nautical set-up and often being the course measurer.
Cédric is more particularly in charge within the COYCH :
- The Optimist competition team training sessions and courses
- Nautical management of sailing and sports schools
Cyril Mannestater
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Holder of the Brevet d’Etat polyvalent voile, Cyril is in charge of leisure sailing schools and sports training on different boats.
Recognised at a national level, Cyril is an outstanding regatta course setter and also an ocean racing measurer.
Cyril is responsible for technical maintenance and works with Cédric on a daily basis.
The Executive Committee
At 30/06/2023
President : Jacques ESPUNA
Vice President : Hugues FABEL
Treasurer : Hélène VIAZZO
Deputy Treasurer : Isabelle VIAZZO
General Secretary: Denis DESAVOYE
Members of the Executive Committee :
Guy SPARACCA
Brigitte ARBONA
Pierre ARBONA
Jean-Pierre MANNETSTATTER
Yvette ALONSO
The sections
Optimist
The COYCH has the youngest sailors from the age of 7 years old on Optimist. In this way, we can introduce children to sailing and take them to the top level for those who wish to do so.
Through 2 different groups, everyone will be able to find their own pleasure and level of practice.
Beginner / Critérium
Wednesdays from 2pm to 5pm. This criterium group is made up of 9 children aged 8 to 12 from the COYCH summer sailing school or the previous year’s initiation group. It is an improvement group that will make its debut in a regatta once a month on the occasion of the criteriums gathering around 30 riders. A departmental final takes place in June involving 60 children. The best elements of this team then move on to the next level if they wish, the optimist league.
League / Competition
Wednesday and Saturday from 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm. A group made up of 8 runners aged 9 to 14 years old previously trained in the COYCH criterium or coming from other clubs. These runners are divided into 2 groups of children (up to 11 years old) and youngsters (from 11 to 14 years old). They take part throughout the year in the league championship (from Marseille to Monaco with 1 to 2 regattas per month. This championship brings together about a hundred minimes and about fifty benjamins). The best then qualify for the inter-league regattas (covering the whole of the southern half of France) which take place 3 times a year with 180 minimes and 70 juniors. These regattas then give access to national, French and international championships.
For this year, the objective will be to have as many riders as possible qualified for the French championship and the national regattas and good performances on the regional regattas for the younger ones.
Dinghy
From the youngest (from 14 years old) in Laser 4.7, to the oldest (who will not be aged) in Laser Standard, via the radial (Olympic series for girls and transition series for boys), the Laser teams of the COYCH sail from the regional to the international level.
About twenty members are sailing at a high level, in standard, radial and 4.7 laser.
Our teams train under the leadership of Cédric BOERI on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and travel to all League and Mediterranean championship regattas. A dozen young sailors train regularly (on club boats).
The COYCH is a leading club of this series in France and our riders have shone on all the regional, national and international podiums. The prize list is growing year after year for the youngest students as well as for the masters.
Since 2009, the COYCH is CED, i.e. Centre d’Entraînement Départemental Laser. The best sailors from the Var are gathered on this structure. Once a month, they come to train at the Nautical Base.
Catamaran
Competition training has been set up throughout the winter and the members of this section regatta regularly in France and abroad.
Cruiser
The French YouthsChampionship
The sports policy put in place by the COYCH management team and its permanent staff enables the youngest members of the team to get their bearings before they reach the age of majority, by using sports keelboats. The main objective being the French Youths Championship organised each year by the FFVoile and bringing together the best crews under the age of 25.
Regattas in the Mediterranean
Many licensees and members of the COYCH sail on the Mediterranean IRC circuit and excel in races such as the Massilia Cup, the SNIM, the Semaine de Porquerolles, the Voiles de Saint Tropez…
They all meet at the end of the season for the Hyères regatta: November in Hyères!
Match Race
COYCH members regularly take part in match racing events and win medals!