AN HISTORIC CELEBRATION IN MARSEILLE ON 8 MAY TO KICK-OFF CELEBRATIONS IN FRANCE
Carrying a message of unity and symbolising the unifying dimension of sport, the Olympic flame has begun its journey in Greece to pay tribute to the origins of the Games.
After departing from the port of Piraeus in Greece on 27 April, the Olympic flame will arrive in Marseille by sea, aboard the Belem, the three-masted ship of which Caisse d’Épargne is the main patron.
On 8 May, the Old Port will be decked out in the colours of the Games and will be buzzing to the rhythm of the many events planned for the occasion. Between 11:00 and 17:00 local, the Belem will parade in the southern and northern harbours, while workshops will be held along the coast: Provençal jousting workshops, a parade of around 30 Marseille barquettes, involvement of local rowing, kayaking and canoeing clubs, and the escorting of traditional sailing boats and dinghies by children – the nautical champions of tomorrow – in a loop of around 90 old-rigged boats.
The Belem will also be accompanied by an XXL armada: a total of 1,029 boats will escort the flame as it enters the Old Port.
To make it all the more spectacular, the Belem will be moored to a floating athletics track through which the first Torchbearer on French soil will pass. The cauldron will then be lit among the excitement in Marseille.