Kylian Mbappé invests in the French SailGP team and supports youth with IBKM
Kylian Mbappé, via Coalition Capital, becomes an investor in the French SailGP team and its association Inspired by KM (IBKM) becomes its official associative partner. From the Los Angeles leg onwards, the tri-colored F50 catamaran will be flying the colors of IBKM, which promotes the inclusion and education of young people through sport.
Thanks to this partnership, SailGP, already committed to a social and environmental approach through the Impact League, reinforces its ambition to open up sailing to all. The first major event is the Mubadala Sail Grand Prix in New York (June 7-8), where young people supported by IBKM will enjoy an immersive experience alongside the French SailGP team.
Francesca Clapcich launches groundbreaking research on sports performance and inclusion
Two-time Olympian and offshore competitor Francesca Clapcich announces an innovative research partnership with the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University (UK), supported by 11th Hour Racing. The study will explore how the principles of belief and belonging influence the collective performance and success of sports teams.
The aim is to apply these findings to the development of practices that promote inclusion and diverse leadership, with a broader scope on climate justice. Practical workshops will be organized from March 2025 in Brittany to raise awareness of these issues among athletes and sports leaders.
The findings of this study will be published by the end of 2025 on francescaclapcich.com.
Tour de Bretagne à la Voile 2025, heading for the 15? edition!
The Tour de Bretagne à la Voile returns for its 15? edition, from June 14 to 22, with a course linking Perros-Guirec, Saint-Malo, Port-La-Forêt and Quiberon. This double-handed event on Figaro Bénéteau 3s, entered in the French Elite Ocean Racing Championship (coefficient 2), promises sporting intensity and technicality.
Supported by the Brittany Region, Banque Populaire Grand Ouest and Le Télégramme, the event benefits from the dynamism of Breton clubs and towns. Registration is now open, and the fleet will set off after a prologue on June 13. A great event for ocean racing enthusiasts!
SP80 breaks 50 knots and moves closer to world record
SP80 reached a speed of 51 knots (95 km/h) the team has now set its sights on the world sailing speed record, which has been set at 50 knots since 2012. The team is now aiming for the world sailing speed record, set at 65.45 knots (121 km/h) since 2012.
Thanks to an innovative foil designed to exceed 100 km/h, SP80 has demonstrated stable behavior at high speeds. In February, the boat already achieved an average speed of 41.3 knots over 500 meters, an encouraging step towards the first record attempts scheduled for spring 2025 in Leucate.
McIntyre Mini Globe Race, an intense first leg to Panama
The McIntyre Mini Globe Race 2025 offered an eventful 1st leg between Antigua and Panama . Over 1,200 nautical miles, the 15 skippers in the Alma Globe 580 battled underwater collisions, flooding and damage, while maintaining an impressive average speed of 5.68 knots.
Renaud Stitelmann won in 8 days, 18 hours and 40 minutes, followed by Keri Harris and Dan Turk, in a neck-and-neck race. Jasmine Harrison, the youngest participant, made her mark with her dynamism and iconic pink spinnaker.
As the fleet prepares for the 6,700-mile second leg to Fiji, the skippers and their boats, too small for the Panama Canal, will be transported overland to the Pacific. The start of this new crossing is set for March 24, 2025.
Transat Paprec 2025: a new era for gender diversity in ocean racing
For the second time running, the Transat Paprec will be an all-gender event, a major step forward for the feminization of ocean racing. Since Paprec became title sponsor, this double-handed, equal-opportunity transatlantic race has become a springboard for young women sailors, enabling them to gain experience at the highest level.
On April 20, around twenty duos will set sail from Concarneau, bound for the West Indies. After Karine Fauconnier and Charlotte Yven, a third woman will soon add her name to the event's prestigious list of honours.
For Samantha Davies, three-time participant, this initiative is essential: "A great opportunity to open the doors of ocean racing to more women". The official presentation of the crews will take place on March 20 at Paprec Bretagne headquarters.
Grand Prix de l'École Navale 2025: registration now open
From May 28 to 31, the Crozon peninsula and Brest harbor will host the Grand Prix de l'École Navale, a not-to-be-missed event in French one-design sailing. Over 800 sailors are expected at five venues, where 15 classes will compete for honors, including the French J80, Open 5.70 and Muscadet championships.
The regattas will benefit from ecological innovations, with autonomous buoys to preserve the seabed, and a strengthened line-up with four foiler classes, including the ETF 26. Crews can register now on the event website, and are invited to plan their accommodation in advance.
Massilia Sailing Academy: new impetus for ocean racing
Since 2021, Massilia Sailing Academy (MSA) has been helping sailors to progress through collective training and experience sharing. Founded by Ludovic Gérard, two-time winner of the Transat Cap Martinique, this Marseille-based structure already has 50 members engaged in solo, duo or crew ocean racing.
MSA takes another step forward by launching a young, mixed Sun Fast 30 One Design crew, with the ambition of securing a place at the Mixed Double-handed Offshore World Championship in Cowes. Selected after a call for applications, Clara Bayol and Charles Hénon benefit from an intensive training program, combining racing and technical training, to prepare for the challenges of the open sea.
With the support of sponsors such as Alwena Shipping and Pure Ocean, Massilia Sailing Academy confirms its commitment to the future of sailing and the transmission of knowledge.
ClubSwan launches an exciting 2025 season
ClubSwan Racing's 2025 season promises to be an intense one, with a rich calendar combining technical regattas, coastal courses and offshore racing. Among the key events, the Swan One Design World Championship in Porto Cervo (June 17-21) and the Nations Trophy in Saint-Tropez (October 8-12) will bring together the Swan One Design elite.
The season kicked off with the Primo Cup-UBS Trophy in Monaco, marking the debut of the ClubSwan 28 in international competition. From Bonifacio to Marstrand, via Lake Garda and Palma de Mallorca, the ClubSwan fleet will be sailing some of the world's most beautiful waters.
With the arrival of the ClubSwan 28 and 43, this year promises some great battles on the water, between competitiveness and camaraderie, values dear to Nautor Swan.
ENVSN Innovation Challenge: call for entries extended to March 19
ENVSN and its partners are extending the call for entries for the 3rd ENVSN Innovation Challenge until 6:00 pm on March 19. The competition, to be held on March 28 during the Foils Journées at ENVSN-Baie de Quiberon, will highlight ten innovations designed to improve water sports practice and equipment.
Projects must fall into one of the following categories: safety, environmental impact, inclusion, quality of work for instructors or circular economy. Two People's Prizes and three Jury Prizes will be awarded to the best innovations.
Applications must be submitted online by 6pm on March 19.
Bacardi Cup: Kusznierewicz and Prada claim sixth consecutive title
The 98th Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Invitational Regatta drew to a close on Biscayne Bay, where the legendary pairing of Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada made history by winning for the 6th year running.
The day before, Kusznierewicz and Prada had secured their victory with impressive consistency, making the last race anecdotal. With 6 consecutive Bacardi Cups under their belts, they confirm their status as the absolute reference in the Star class, although they are still a long way from James "Ding" Schoonmaker's record of eight titles.
With Casting Couch leading right up to the final day, Peter Duncan and his crew on Relative Obscurity put in a masterful finish, stringing together a series of 2nd places to claim the J/70 title by a 17-point margin.
Peter-David Karrié and his team on Nefeli had to wait until the final countdown to win the tiebreak, against a very competitive Melges 24 fleet.
In the Snipe class, Ernesto Rodriguez and Taylor Scheuermann confirmed their supremacy with 5 wins from 8 rounds. In Viper 640, Vir Menon and his crew's Rolling Thunder held on to the lead right to the end. In VX One, Chris Alexander's Counterproductive won for the third time in a row, consolidating its domination of the class.
With more than 600 sailors and 200 crews competing, this record-breaking edition of the Bacardi Cup once again made its mark, ending on a high note with the traditional prize-giving ceremony and the famous Bacardi evening. The next edition will take place from March 1 to 7, 2026.
Denis Van Weynbergh completes Vendée Globe with determination
After 117 days at sea, Denis Van Weynbergh has completed his first Vendée Globe arriving one day after the official closing of the line, on March 8, 2025. The only skipper with a 100% amateur team, he overcame a great deal of damage, including a partially unusable mainsail in the North Atlantic.
Despite the ordeals, he never gave up, pursuing his route with resilience and passion. His arrival, cheered on by a capacity crowd, is the reward for an extraordinary human and sporting adventure.
