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Coralia Club Marina Viva de Porticcio

 

The Coralia Club Porticcio Marina Viva is ideally located between the see and the «maquis» (legendary corsican scrubland) in one of the most beautiful spot of the island : on the south bank of the Gulf of Aiacciu and facing the Sanguinari islands. The hotel is coiled up in a blossoming garden in the heart of the touristic town of Purtichju.
The Coralia Club Marina Viva has always tried to associate its image to the local traditions and the sports events of the island :Beach soccer, Beach Volley, Sailing, Volley Ball...It seemed all very natural that they would support an event as mythical and renowned as the Corsica Raid, promoting in the same time the values of discovery of Corsica, of long-term development, of conviviality and authenticity that we have in common. This commitment equally shows their enthusiasm and their will to support events with a strong identitary side to them.
For the first edition of the Corsica Raid Entreprise in 2002, the managers of the Coralia have been won over by the concept and they decided to register two teams on the race. In 2003, convinced of the interest of taking part in the Corsica Raid, the staff of Coralia Club Marina Viva Purtichju decided to become a partner of the event but also an actor : they participated at the same time in the Corsica Raid Entreprise and in the Corsica Raid Challenger. For this 2005 edition, their commitment at our side has been unfailing.
Indeed, the Coralia Club has once again registered a team on the Corsica Raid Challenger and they were determined to take up the challenge with great panache. Composed of 4 racers and 2 assistants, this team is before anything else a group of amateurs who love Corsica and outdoor sports. They set their mind on making it to the end and playing the part of the outsider if their physical ressources enable them to do so.
Fascinated by the feeling of freedom and energy one can experience in the natural and still wild environment of Corsica, they have a passion for sports, a good team spirit, the taste for personal and collective challenge and the desire to share strong moments.
The Coralia Club is implicated twice in the Corsica Raid because they also lend their beautiful rooms to the race organization staff in order to prepare the closing cermony which will take place tonight. We can only thank them heartily for theit generous and long-term collaboration and we are already eager to meet them on the 2005 edition of the Corsica Raid Entreprise !

After a last night of race spent in a terrible orientation section throughout the thick corsican scrubland, the competitors must draw on their last reserves of energy to find the strengh necessary to reach the finishing line of this Corsica Raid. Even if the victory seems far away for some of the teams, all must continue the challenge to make it to the end, together...And this last day of race is far from being a piece of cake !

Since 07h30 in the morning, everyone is ready on the banks of the Baraci and the day gets off to a great start : the wonderful canyoning section should wake up everybody and fulfill the expectations of all these top sportsmen looking for strong emotions. The teams dash forward one after another for a magical descent in the spring waters.

The discipline borrows technical skills from potholing, rock climbing and diving and requires a good amount of boldness as well as a solid sense of balance. Abseiling or jumping, the racers must go down along rock faces to the Baraci river, enjoying at the same time the beauty of the deep shadowy gorges. The symphony of shades of the stones paired with the clearness of the iridescent waterfalls turn this section into a magical moment which leaves nobody indifferent. Revivifyed by the contact with the icy water, the racers leave the river behind them and join their assistance for a road link towards Bocca di Gradello, located near the village of Coti-Chiavari and the sea they left four days earlier in Moriani. It’s time for a quick rest between team mates, a good opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the landscape without qualms, simple pleasure often too rare for the racers who must compose with the never-stopping chronometer !

As soon a they arrive, they have to hasten and jump on their bikes for the last MTB section of this Corsica Raid. Quite short in terms of time, it can nevertheless dig a gap between the teams and weight heavily in the final ranking : the technicity of the itinerary requires an excellent mastery and the several stones who scatter the path represent as many traps which can cause flat tyres and slow down the progression in a noticeable way.

 

Moreover, the racers have to define their itineray on their own with the help of their road-book and this task can hide a few surprises : the several tracks and paths which are not on the maps can turn this section into a true treasure hunt where the corsican nature appears like a nightmarish labyrinth !

Those who succeed in finishing this trial without getting lost can admire the superb beach of Verghja, nicknamed the «silver beach» whilst the assistance point is taking place on the Mare e Sole beach, both spots being amongst the most famous of the Gulf of Aiacciu. For many racers, the opportunity is too good to be true and a quick bath in the clear water is a gift from the gods ! After having touched the snow and discovered a thousand of magical lanscapes, the raiders have understood that Corsica is plenty ful of gorgeous treasures.

To end the race, the ultimate challenge of this 2005 Corsica Raid consists in a coastering trial starting from the beach of Agosta and arrives in Purtichju. If this type of section can seem easy at first sight, it is in fact far from being a simple stroll along the seaside ! Running in the sand and on the rocks is quickly tiring and some teams may encounter difficulties to keep up the pace and stay within a good timing. But after about an hour of race, it’s the final arrival and this simple thought should chin everybody up : in order to mount the podium or just to cross the finishing line together, all the teams will muster their strengh to make it !

On the Viva beach, the emotion is at its height, the racers burst out of joy under the aplause of the audience. They can now take their time to savour this great victory. Opponents a few minutes ago, they have become companions and belong to this small group of incredible men and women who can pride themselves of having done the Corsica Raid.


Zoom on...Pentax


Pentax is an innovative company which proposes since several decades inventions in the photographic field to enable the people to catch on film «our precious moments». And what is more precious than the terrific pictures of these men and women in action on the different challenges of the Corsica Raid ?!!
To guarantee the photographic production during all this spectacular eleventh edition, the Corsica Raid Organization chose to trust Pentax, Official photographic partner of the event. Equiped with cameras of the Optio brand, numerical cameras which are very attractive thanks to their exceptional conception and their small size, the photographs on the race were able to take great pictures which pay a tribute to the extraordinary achievements of the racers and to the legendary beauty of our island. The Pentax company has also set up for the first time an exclusive challenge rewarding the most beautiful picture of the race and we are very pleased to welcome tonight Mr Denoulet, their communication manager, which will be with us at the Coralia to hand their prizes to the winners. We would like to thank him warmly and we are sure that this new partnership will be fructuous and long-lasting !




/ / / THE PICTURES







 
/ / ©2005 | Corsica Raid