Entente Cordiale 2008

Between 16-22 May, rural France once again played host to Jaguars old and new as 100 cars took part in the 2008 Entente Cordiale tour.

Destined to visit the Brittany region of France, having gathered at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, the ‘Ententies’ travelled by overnight ferry to St Malo, arriving on the morning of Saturday 17 May, and from there embarked on a 237-mile drive to their base for the next two days in Vannes. The route included stops at the picturesque port of Concarneau, and at Carnac, one of the most important historical sites in Europe where the landscape is peppered with mysterious prehistoric standing stones.

Sunday’s itinerary didn’t include any road miles, but it did include a display of the participating Jaguars in Vannes town centre. The assembled cars obviously provoked a positive reaction as the Monday edition of the town’s newspaper carried a prominent story on the Jaguar invasion!
Monday’s route included visits to the atmospheric submarine pens at St Nazaire – which were opened especially for the Jaguars to park inside – and the fortified hill town of La Roche-Bernard before the return to Vannes. Tuesday then saw the Jaguars tour through numerous quiet country villages on the way to Honfleur, the base for the tour’s final two days.

The penultimate day of the tour saw Ententies enjoy a cheese and cider tasting session at St Hippolyte – a popular stop! – which was then followed by a gala dinner in the evening. A suitably leisurely start to the last day still left time for a visit to the Pegasus Bridge Museum before the short hop to the ferry port at Ouistreham and the return sailing to Portsmouth for an evening arrival.
Once again, full breakdown support ensured any mechanical issues on participating Jaguars, old or new, were sorted quickly, though the breakdown team were pleased to report no major incidents (they even found time to repair a spectator’s wheelchair in Vannes!).

Planning for the 2009 Entente Cordiale is already underway and details will be posted soon at www.jaguar-world.com. Alternatively, call Lynne Beadle directly on 01959 543529 for more information.