The Whale RaftsThe maddest race on the Côte de Nacre, right beside the campsite
One Saturday in mid-June, a dozen crews launch craft they have built themselves from the beach, at the foot of the fishermen’s pier. You watch from the sand, admission is free, and the campsite is at the end of the seafront path.
It is the unlikeliest race on the Côte de Nacre, and probably the most watched: every year in mid-June, a dozen rafts built by amateur crews — drums, pallets, foam, a great deal of imagination and a few coats of paint — set off from the beach at Luc-sur-Mer, at the foot of the fishermen’s pier. Run by the town, the day is free, family-friendly and genuinely funny. From Camping La Capricieuse you simply walk there: it is the same stretch of seafront.
The dates
Every year- Mid-Juneone Saturday
- 9th editionin June 2026
- One dayrace and entertainment
The date, start time and entry conditions for crews are announced in spring by the town of Luc-sur-Mer. Previous editions have been held on a Saturday in mid-June.
Getting there
From the campsite- On footabout ten minutes
- The beachat the foot of the pier
- No carto move
The start is given on the sand, in front of the fishermen’s pier, at the eastern end of the village. From the campsite entrance you follow the seafront: it is the simplest route, and it avoids the weekend traffic.
Useful to know
Before you go- Freefor spectators
- All agesfamily atmosphere
- Raftsbuilt by the crews
You can follow the race from the beach and the seafront without a ticket. Crews, however, register beforehand with the town: each raft must be built by the people sailing it.
The race, seen from the campsite
A dozen rafts, not one professional
The principle has not changed since the first edition: build a raft that floats, bring it down to the beach and get it to the buoy without sinking. Crews come from the village, the neighbouring towns, local clubs and associations, often in fancy dress and sometimes very serious indeed — the race is as hard-fought as it is cheerful.
The crowd settles on the sand and along the seafront, the beach fills up from the morning, and the shipwrecks are followed as closely as the winners. It is one of the rare events where the campsite sits literally at the edge of the playing field.
The 1885 whale, the village mascot
On 14 January 1885, a nineteen-metre rorqual whale ran aground off Luc-sur-Mer. Its skeleton, preserved and reassembled, has been displayed ever since in the Parc de la Baleine, right in the centre of the village: admission is free and it is a ten-minute walk from the campsite.
The raft race owes it both its name and its emblem: most crews display a whale somewhere on their craft. Before or after the race, the park is five minutes from the beach — the natural extension of the outing.
A June weekend by the water
Mid-June is one of the best moments of the season on the Côte de Nacre: the days are long, the beaches quiet and rates are still those of the early season. The campsite’s heated water park is open.
A weekend is enough to come and watch: the start is a ten-minute walk from your cottage, and the rest of the day is spent between the beach, the pier and the seafront terraces.
Frequently asked questions about the Whale Rafts
When do the Whale Rafts take place?+
Where does the race start?+
Do you need a ticket to watch the race?+
Can you take part with your own raft?+
Illustrative photograph: Nezdek — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
The other events
Le Sentier des Arts
Jardifoliz
D-Day Festival Normandy
Les Grandes Mêlées d’Ornavik
The Tribute Fest
Festival Beauregard
Bayeux Medieval Festival
The XSMOZ Festival
The Acadian Week
The Sea Festival
The Langrune float parade
The Sâoticot festival
Rétro Festival in Caen
The Baronnie Festival
The Normandy Beach Race
Les Équidays
Halloween at the campsite
All the events
Your base camp in Normandy
Five-star cottages, a heated water park and the beach fifty metres away, in Luc-sur-Mer.
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