Rolex becomes Title Partner of SailGP, a new era in world sailing
The world sailing championship enters a new phase with the announcement of Rolex as SailGP's first Title Partner. Now known as the Rolex SailGP Championship, this agreement marks a strategic turning point for the competition, highlighting shared values of innovation, precision and performance.
The partnership includes a full integration of Rolex into the SailGP ecosystem, with a redesign of the award-winning graphics, a new visual identity for fans, and long-term support as Official Timekeeper through the end of Season 14. Rolex will also be Title Partner of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, scheduled for March 15-16, 2025.
The 2025 Season kicks off this weekend in Dubai with the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, where 12 national teams will compete in a spectacular setting. Remaining tickets are available at SailGP.com/Dubai, marking the start of an ambitious season that promises to push the boundaries of sailing.
E-Sailing, the French in contention for another world title
The e-Sailing world is in full swing as the grand final of the 2024 World Championship takes place this Sunday, November 24, at the RedBull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm. France's Alexandre Kowalski ("AlexK"), 2022 World Champion, and Tristan Peron ("Asere"), 2023 World Champion, are among the favorites to claim the title and the $10,000 at stake.
After this individual final, the competition continues with the E-Nation Cup Inshore, a team championship in which the French team, led by its two champions, will attempt to retain its title. With qualification for the finals already assured, France is aiming for a historic double by winning the E-Nation Cup Inshore and Offshore in the same year.
Enthusiasts will be able to follow the French Championship finals from December 11, bringing the season to a close for fans of virtual regattas.
Competitions will be broadcast live on YouTube, giving everyone the chance to share in the excitement of the world's e-Sailing elite.
Sailor of the Year ceremony on December 16, 2024 in Paris
The French Sailing Federation is organizing the Sailor of the Year 2024 ceremony on December 16 at the Olympia. This annual event, open to the public, rewards French sailors who have shone on the international scene. FFVoile members receive two free invitations, while other enthusiasts can reserve their tickets online. The evening begins at 6.30pm with the opening of the doors, followed at 7.30pm by the presentation of the Champions' Trophies, the showing of films summarizing the year, the announcement of the Men's and Women's Hopes, and culminates with the revelation of the Sailor of the Year. Voting for the winner will open on November 29.
St. Barth Cata Cup, an edition under the sign of finesse and tactics
The 16th edition of the St. Barth Cata Cup, to be held from November 20 to 24, is set to get underway in special conditions: light winds of between 3 and 7 knots are forecast for the first two days, making the first races highly tactical. If these forecasts are confirmed, it would be the first time since 2008 that races could be postponed due to lack of wind.
The 54 crews from 15 countries are ready to take up the challenge. Among them are favorites such as the duo Ravi Parent and Nick Lovisa, winners in 2023, and challengers such as Yvan Bourgnon, making his comeback after a 13-year absence, and Belgium's Olivier Gagliani, a formidable force on this stretch of water. For all of them, the key will be knowing how to "be in the right place at the right time" in unpredictable conditions.
The first regattas, including the Prix Design Affairs-001, will take place on the morning of Thursday 21st, followed by an evening opening ceremony at Gypsea Beach, where the results will be announced. Crews promise to battle it out on the water as well as enjoying the conviviality ashore, true to the spirit of this iconic competition.
Lola Billy, new Région Bretagne-CMB Océane skipper
Following intense competition at the Challenge Océane, Lola Billy was named the new skipper of Région Bretagne-CMB Océane. Up against two talented rivals, Colombe Julia and Théa Khelif, Lola won 4 of the 9 races sailed in Concarneau Bay. She thus joins the Filière d'Excellence Région Bretagne-CMB, which trains the best solo sailors.
For the 2025 season, Lola will take part in the Transat Paprec in April, where she will make her debut on the duo ocean racing circuit, continuing the Filière's mission of excellence and parity. This program, launched in 2019 to promote female skippers, guarantees conditions equivalent to those of male skippers in terms of training, resources and salaries.
Lola Billy succeeds the likes of Élodie Bonafous and Louise Acker, with the ambition of shining in national and international competitions. She will be racing alongside Victor Le Pape, skipper of the Espoir class for his final year on the Figaro Beneteau circuit. The Filière Région Bretagne-CMB, in collaboration with the Pôle Finistère Course au Large, continues to reveal the talents of tomorrow.
New distance record for Yoann Richomme in the Vendée Globe 2024
On November 20, 2024, French skipper Yoann Richomme set a new solo monohull record, covering 551.84 nautical miles in 24 hours, or around 1,022 kilometers. This performance surpasses by 5.24 miles the previous record set by Nicolas Lunven a week earlier. Aboard his IMOCA Paprec Arka, he took advantage of ideal conditions with steady trade winds and calm seas to reach an impressive average speed of 22.9 knots.
FFVoile, Jean-Luc Denechau the only candidate to succeed him
From December 6 to 10, 2024, the Fédération Française de Voile (FFVoile) is holding its first Elective General Meeting remotely and electronically. A single list, led by outgoing president Jean-Luc Denechau, is running for the general category, confirming his re-election as FFVoile president.
The Board of Directors will have 42 members, including 38 elected by list ballot and 6 representatives of special categories (referees, coaches, high-level athletes). While the positions of sportsmen and women and referees attracted a number of applications, no candidates were put forward to represent coaches, reducing the number of members originally envisaged.
Presidents of affiliated clubs will vote via a dedicated platform from December 6 at 7pm to December 10 at 7pm, while special categories will elect their representatives among peers.
Championnat de France Espoirs de Match-Racing, Ange Delerce, master of the Angels
The Baie des Anges lived up to its name this weekend in Antibes, where Ange Delerce (SR Antibes) was crowned Champion de France Espoirs de Match-Racing 2024. Accompanied by Léo Maurin, Sylvestre de Guili Morghen, Thomas Flachon and Julia D'Amodio, he beat Tom Foucher (APCC Nantes) in the final after a complicated start to the competition. Fifth in the Round Robin, he turned things around by eliminating his team-mates and friends, Timothée Rossi and Ian Garreta, in the final stages.
The young Match-Racing world champion added this title to an already memorable season, marked by his participation in the Youth America's Cup and medical studies at the same time. His victory was facilitated by an unexpectedly light north-easterly breeze, which gave the competition a second wind.
In an expeditious final (3-0), Delerce showed undeniable talent against Foucher. The small final, meanwhile, was won by Ian Garreta, who beat the surprising Marin Micoulot (SN Enghien), the revelation of this championship.
The date is set for next March in Antibes for the French Open Championship, where the young guard could once again sparkle against the veterans. As for Ange Delerce, she will be defending her world title in Jeddah in the next few days.
La Semaine du Golfe unveils its sponsors
The 13th edition of the Semaine du Golfe 2025, to be held from May 26 to June 1, will be sponsored by writer Yann Queffélec and journalist Anne-Claire Coudray. Yann Queffélec, winner of the 1985 Prix Goncourt for The Barbarian Wedding is a lover of Brittany and the sea, having sailed with Éric Tabarly and written numerous books on these themes. He describes this maritime event as a veritable "oasis of hope and perfect marine beauty", underlining its role as an antidote to contemporary gloom. This announcement reinforces the literary and cultural dimension of this major event dedicated to sea enthusiasts.
