Longe-Côte: Saint-Martin represented at the French Championships
The Friendly Longe-Côte club will be taking part in the French Longe-Côte Championship in La Baule on 6 and 7 June. This comes as a pleasant surprise following the regional qualifiers in February, where the club tied for second place amongst clubs from the French West Indies.
Founded in September 2025, the club took part in its first competition, the Martinique Open, in February during the regional qualifiers, and won 14 medals. All the competitors who took part have been selected for the French Championships, meaning that six athletes will be representing Saint Martin in mainland France.
An exceptional adventure… and a logistical challenge
The team will set off from Saint-Martin on 1 June, arriving in La Baule on 2 June, four days before the start of the events. This time is needed to adjust to the time difference, acclimatise to the cold water and adapt their technique to local sea conditions. The main longe-côte events will take place on Saturday 6 June, with all team members taking part. Sunday 7 June will be dedicated to the Longe-Côte Trail.
Whilst this qualification is a source of pride, it also represents a real challenge for an overseas club, particularly from a financial perspective. To raise the funds needed for travel and preparation, Friendly Longe-Côte is launching a range of initiatives, including the sale of club-branded merchandise via the ‘Boutik FLC’, the organisation of team-building sessions tailored for businesses, and the launch of an online fundraising campaign. The club invites partners, businesses and individuals to get involved in supporting this extraordinary sporting and human adventure. For more information, visit the Facebook page “Friendly Longe-Côte, club de Saint-Martin” or friendlylc978@gmail.com
