The “Base Sports Nature” municipal facility in the Breton town of Cesson-Sévigné, France, now boasts an impressive new addition to its wide range of activities for competitive and recreational athletes and clubs. This facility also offers supervised outdoor activities for schools and various groups, focusing primarily on water and boating sports, especially within its recently modernized whitewater stadium.
Originally established in the late 1990s, the stadium for canoeing and rafting has undergone significant renovations in 2023. A key feature of this upgrade is a new whitewater pool, which is 120 meters long and equipped with cutting-edge pump technology. This pool has a total height difference of 3.5 meters and a water flow rate of up to 12 m³/s, aligning with the standards of the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
An essential part of this renovation is the new boat transport system, designed and integrated by Austrian conveyor technology specialist Sunkid. Emanuel Wohlfarter, CEO of Sunkid, expressed his satisfaction with the project: “We have previously equipped the Olympic whitewater stadium in Tokyo (2021) and the ‘Neue Donau’ whitewater facility in Vienna with our water conveyor belts. Thanks to the ‘Terre de Jeux’ label for the entire facility, international canoeing athletes are now training in Cesson-Sévigné for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.”
This innovative transport system allows athletes to focus entirely on their training and upcoming competitions by eliminating the need to carry heavy equipment. Driven by an 11 kW electric motor, the endless conveyor belt with its proven Rufftop surface safely and comfortably transports athletes and their boats from the end of the course back to the starting point. The 2-meter-wide belt accommodates even large rafts with multiple passengers, facilitating loading and unloading directly in the water.
Wohlfarter highlights the multifunctional usage concept of the facility, designed for both top-tier and junior athletes as well as serving as a public leisure space for families and schools new to water sports. “The project in Cesson-Sévigné reflects Sunkid’s philosophy as the world market leader for outdoor person conveyor belts, with more than 4,000 installations, and the premier provider of year-round leisure attractions for the whole family,” he concludes.
Images: Sunkid
