Ocean racing brings together several classes of boats âeuros from the small Mini 6.50 (boats of 6.50 m) to the big Ultimates trimarans of 32 m long âeuros! If some classes have races reserved for them âeuros in particular the Mini 6.50 and the Figaro Bénéteau âeuros the other classes are also found on flagship offshore races like the Transat Jacques Vabre or the Route du Rhum. Here is the 2021 program of the different offshore racing classes.
Mini 6.50
The Mini 6.50 Class is divided into two categories of boats âeuros protos and âeuros series with a length of 6.50 m. These are the smallest ocean racing boats! The highlight of the Mini circuit is the Mini Transat this event is organized every two years between France and the West Indies, with a stopover in the Canary Islands.
If there are many aspiring sailors who want to cross the Atlantic solo, not all of them will participate. Indeed, places are expensive and qualification is mandatory. The candidates to the race must have accumulated 1â500 miles on their boat on the events registered in the calendar of the Classe Mini, in addition to a qualification out of race of 1000 miles.
Thus, the pre-season events are numerous, given from all over France and abroad, leaving everyone free to improve their skills. In 2021, there are 15 of them, the Mini-Golfe which was to take place on March 6, 2021 having been cancelled.
Program of the Classe Mini
- Arcipelago âeuros 650 âeuros March 18
- Mini Petrolera âeuros March 19
- Regata Base Mini Fnob âeuros April 9
- Gran Premio d'Italia âeuros 10 April
- Plastimo Lorient Mini âeuros April 15
- 222 Mini Solo âeuros April 30
- Pornichet Select âeuros 1 er may
- Corsica Med âeuros 3 May
- Mini in May âeuros 22 May
- Marie-Agnès Peron âeuros Trophy June 3
- Mini Fastnet âeuros June 13
- Mini Calvados Cup Race 1 âeuros June 27
- Mini Calvados Cup Race 2 âeuros 1 er july
- Mini Gascogna Solitaire âeuros July 28th
- Mini Gascogna Double âeuros July 28
- Mini Transat 2021 âeuros September 26
Figaro Bénéteau
Each year, the Figaro Bénéteau boats compete on equal terms to win the French Elite Ocean Racing Championship. To win it, you have to accumulate the minimum number of points. Here are some explanations.
Each race on the Championship calendar has a coefficient, assigned according to its difficulty and duration. Thus, for each participation in a race, a skipper earns points according to his ranking. The first one takes 1 point, the second one 2 points, etc.
If a skipper does not participate in a race, he/she receives a number of points equal to the number of entries in the race + 10 points, multiplied by the coefficient of the race.
The race that closes the Figaro Bénéteau season is the Solitaire du Figaro, run in stages. In 2021, the championship will have at least 3 races, including a first, an Atlantic crossing!
Figaro Bénéteau Class Program
- Double-handed Transat - Concarneau - Saint-Barthélemy - May 9 to June 15
- Tour de Bretagne à la Voile 2021 - July 3 to 11
- Solitaire du Figaro - August 22 to September 26
The other races of the season
- Solo Maitre Coq âeuros March 22 to 28
- Sardinha Cup 2021 âeuros 7 to 17 April
- Solo Guy Cotten Concarneau âeuros July 22 to 25
- Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 âeuros August 8 to 14
Class40
Class 40 is one of the most extensive classes in ocean racing, welcoming professionals and enlightened amateurs. Some races are reserved for them and others welcome the main classes of ocean racing, such as the Transat Jacques Vabre or the Route du Rhum. The program includes transatlantic races and shorter distance or coastal races.
In 2021, out of the 14 races scheduled, with the highlight being the Route du Café, run as a duo, there are only 10 left, as those at the beginning of the year have been cancelled due to Covid-19.
Class40 also has its own championship in the form of a points ranking. This one only takes place if a minimum of 2 events have taken place, including the Transat Jacques Vabre, with at least 7 participants classified on each of the 2 races.
In 2021, 5 races will count for the championship with different coefficients:
- may 30th - Normandy Channel Race coef 2
- end of June - Les Sables-Horta (Leg 1) coef 1,5
- mid-July - Les Sables-Hort (Leg 2) coef 1,5
- august 8 - Rolex Fastnet Race coef 1
- november 27 - Transat Jacques Vabre coef 4
The winner will be the duo skipper/boat to win the most points, each participation in a competition gives right to a number of points.
Class40 Program
- Armen Race âeuros 13 May
- Normandy Channel Race âeuros May 30
- Bermuda 1-2 (Leg 1) âeuros June 4
- Bermuda 1-2 (Leg 2) âeuros 17 June
- Les Sables âeuros Horta (Leg 1) âeuros June 27
- Les Sables âeuros Horta (Leg 2) âeuros July 9
- Marblehead to Halifax âeuros July 11
- Rolex Fastnet Race âeuros 8 August
- La 40' Malouine âeuros September 10
- Transat Jacques Vabre âeuros November 27
IMOCA
Since 2018, the IMOCA class has set up the IMOCA Globe Series, a championship made up of the most prestigious double-handed and single-handed events, spread over four seasons (2018-2021). At the end of these events, the sailor with the most points will win the title of IMOCA World Champion.
Each skipper scores a certain number of points according to his ranking and the number of participants and a coefficient specific to each event. Example: if 10 boats start a race with a coefficient of 4, the first one scores 10 x 4 = 40 points, the 2nd one scores 9 x 4 = 36 points, etc.
In 2020 âeuros at the end of the Vendée Globe âeuros it is Boris Herrmann who wins the title.
2021 marks the beginning of a new cycle that will conclude at the end of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025. And for this first year, 5 events are on the class calendar, including the new event The Ocean Race Europe, which will be sailed by a crew, a novelty for the IMOCA class.
- May : Grand Prix Guyader (Douarnenez) âeuros TBC
- May-June: The Ocean Race Europe (Bretagne-Cascaïs-Sud France-Genoa)
- august 8: Rolex Fastnet Race (departure from Cowes-arrival in Cherbourg)
- september 15-19: Azimut Challenge (Lorient)
- november 8: Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre-Martinique)
Ocean Fifty
The Multi50 class will evolve in March 2021 . Now it's time for the Ocean Fiftyâeuros class! And a brand new racing program, designed to highlight these 15m multihulls, by organizing races close to the public, but also by making documentary series.
In 2021, no Grand Prix de Brest or Multihull Trophy in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, but the Pro Sailing Tour, composed of 4 stages and an offshore race between the Mediterranean and Brest. And of course, the Transat Jacques Vabreâeuros!
- 1st episode : Brest from May 5th to 9th
- 2nd episode : La Rochelle from May 26 to 30
- 3rd episode : Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from June 30th to July 14th
- 4th episode : Marseille from July 21 to 25
- Final to Brest from August 1 to 7
Transat Jacques Vabre âeuros November 7
Final
The Ultime 32/23 Class is composed of the largest ocean racing trimarans, flying boats of 32 m long and 23 m wide. Today, the class is a bit split, some of them are not or no longer part of it âeuros Maxi Edmond de Rotschild (Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier) and Idec Sport (Francis Joyon) âeuros and others have lost their sponsor âeuros Macif (François Gabart) This leaves Actual Leader (Yves le Blévec), Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim' 3) and the Maxi Banque Populaire XI (Armel le Cléac'h), which is currently under construction. Spindrift cannot take part, as it is too big.
On the program of these maxi-trimarans, 5 races with the Transat Jacques Vabre as a highlight, on which they will make their great return.
- may 8 Tour de Belle île
- may 13 Armen Race
- august 8 RORC Fastnet Race
- october 23 Rolex Middle Sea Race
- October: Transat Jacques Vabre
