Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif) win the Transat Paprec 2025
Charlotte Yven and Hugo Dhallenne won the Transat Paprec 2025 after 18 days, 19 hours and 16 minutes of intense racing, crossing the finish line in Gustavia on May 9 at 08:18 (CET). Always at the front, the Skipper Macif duo made the difference in the final hours thanks to a daring northerly trajectory.
With this second victory, Charlotte Yven makes history: she becomes the first female skipper to win the Transat Paprec twice, equalling Armel Le Cléac'h's record. An exceptional double salute to the performance and consistency of an exceptional sailor. Romain Bouillard and Irina Gracheva (Décrochons la lune) took second place on the podium. Cindy Brin and Thomas André (Cap St Barth) complete the field.
Charlie Dalin absent from Vendée Globe prize-giving ceremony for health reasons
Charlie Dalin, winner of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 aboard the IMOCA MACIF Santé Prévoyance, will not be taking part in the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for this Saturday, May 10 in Les Sables d'Olonne, due to a prolonged post-operative convalescence, combined with his post-race recovery.
Macif sends him its full support and best wishes for his recovery. No further communication will be made for the time being, in accordance with the wishes of the skipper and his partner.
The Patrouille de France in the air for the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025
To mark the centenary of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Patrouille de France will be putting on an exceptional air show on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 4pm, over Collignon beach in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Already acclaimed in 2021 and 2023, the famous French Air Force formation will be back to perform spectacular figures in the Normandy skies, to round off a week of free events.
The party continues into the evening on the Plage Verte with concerts, bars and foodtrucks, for a festive atmosphere open to all.
Julien Villion joins Anthony Marchand as co-skipper of Actual Ultim 4
Team Actual is upping its game, announcing the arrival of Julien Villion as co-skipper alongside Anthony Marchand for the 2025 season aboard Actual Ultim 4, ex-Gitana 17. A versatile sailor, renowned router and expert on Ultim, Villion will bring his strategic expertise to the year's major events, including the Rolex Fastnet Race, the 24H Ultim and the Transat Café L'Or.
Pending the launch of the new trimaran, scheduled for mid-July, the duo are preparing aboard Actual Ultim 3, notably for the Tour de Belle-Île. This experienced and complementary pair is aiming to take the team to the top of the Ultim class, with the Route du Rhum 2026 and the Arkea Ultim Challenge 2028 in their sights.
A new IMOCA for Sébastien Simon and the Dubreuil Group for the Vendée Globe 2028
Groupe Dubreuil and Sébastien Simon, 3rd in the last Vendée Globe, announce the construction of a new foiling IMOCA, designed by Guillaume Verdier and built at Carrington Boats (UK), with a launch scheduled for August 2026 in Les Sables-d'Olonne. The aim is to aim even higher in the Vendée Globe 2028, with the first major milestone in the Route du Rhum 2026.
Optimized for performance and single-handed sailing, this new, latest-generation monohull embodies the shared ambition of the Vendée-based company and its skipper. The former IMOCA Groupe Dubreuil has been sold to Canadian Scott Shawyer, who is aiming to become the first Canadian to complete the Vendée Globe.
La Généreuse du Morbihan: the first ALS charity regatta
From May 22 to 24, 2025, the port of Crouesty will host La Généreuse du Morbihan, the first charity regatta dedicated to the fight against ALS (Charcot's disease). Organized in partnership with the Institut du Cerveau, this first-of-its-kind race will mobilize crews to raise funds for medical research, in addition to taking part in coastal Grand-Surprise and IRC courses.
In addition to the competition, a rich program of awareness-raising activities is planned ashore, including screenings, meetings, sea outings and the presence of associations. The event, supported by Olivier Goy and Les Invincibles, combines sport, solidarity and commitment in a deeply human spirit.
Paul Meilhat and Biotherm at the start of The Ocean Race Europe
Three months after finishing 5th in the Vendée Globe, Paul Meilhat is taking part in The Ocean Race Europe, a 40-day, 5-leg crewed race from Kiel to the Bay of Kotor, via Portsmouth, Cartagena, Nice and Genoa. Aboard an optimized IMOCA Biotherm, he will be accompanied by a top-level international crew, including Amélie Grassi, Jackson Bouttell and Benjamin Ferré.
The aim is to perform in an intense format, while promoting the environmental values dear to the project, notably through an on-board microscope for the study of plankton. As a prelude, the team will take part in the Gotland Runt at the end of June, before setting off on August 10.
Gitana 18: a new maxi-trimaran 100% designed for offshore sailing
The Gitana Team announces the construction of Gitana 18, the future Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a 32-meter giant fully optimized for high-seas sailing. Designed in collaboration with architect Guillaume Verdier and the CDK Technologies shipyard, this 28th yacht in the Gitana saga marks a major technological break with its predecessor, Gitana 17.
Conceived as a veritable blank page, Gitana 18 capitalizes on years of Ultim data and experience to take performance even further. The boat is due to be launched at the end of September 2025, accompanied by a monthly "G18 NDA" web series revealing the behind-the-scenes aspects of her design.
The Fun Cup celebrates its 10th anniversary in the crystal-clear waters of Les Glénan
From May 9 to 11, 2025, the island of Bananec will host the 10th edition of the Fun Cup, a not-to-be-missed event for wingfoil and windsurf enthusiasts. In the paradisiacal setting of the Glénan archipelago, some forty participants will enjoy a weekend of gliding, conviviality and sharing, all in an all-inclusive formula.
The newly-renovated Bananec nautical base offers the perfect setting, and for the first time, riders will be sailing to the island via Sailcoop. Races, raids, speed runs and alternative entertainment are on the program, with the presence of partner brands such as Duotone, F-One and local company Squall, who will be offering equipment trials and expert advice.
Fuze Tea embarks with Nils Boyer on a committed, intergenerational adventure
Fuze Tea, the Coca-Cola Group's iced tea brand, becomes the main partner of Saint Malo skipper Nils Boyer and his sailboat INTER-GENERATIONS until 2027. This project combines offshore sailing, social commitment and reconnecting with oneself, in conjunction with the INTER-GENERATIONS SAILING association, which uses sailing as a means of linking generations.
The partnership got off to a strong start with victory in the Audi âeuros Tour de Chausey Trophy in early May. The boat INTER-GENERATIONS: Fuze Tea will take part in more than 25 major races, including the Rolex Fastnet Race. An adventure driven by shared values: performance, sharing, sustainability and authentic emotions.
Pornichet Select 2025: Benoît Marie and Paul Cousin triumph in a formidable edition
89 boats set off on Saturday May 3, and only a handful crossed the finish line in Pornichet on Monday morning, rinsed by the wind, but carried away by the magic of ocean racing. The 24th edition of the LA Pornichet Select 6.50, a 300-mile single-handed course between Groix, Belle-Île and Les Sables-d'Olonne, lived up to all its promises: a great show, high standards, testing conditions and some magnificent winners.
Right from the start, in an 8-knot southerly breeze, the fleet offered a colorful ballet in front of a large crowd gathered in Pornichet and on the beach at La Baule. While the first few hours were strategic in light airs, the rest of the race proved to be much more challenging, with a northeasterly wind reaching 38 knots, forcing skippers to be extremely vigilant, particularly in tricky coastal areas such as La Teignouse and Belle-Île.
In the prototype class, Benoît Marie (Nicomatic-Petit Bateau, 1067) won the race in 1 day, 11 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds of sailing, crossing the finish line at 00:37 on Monday. He finished ahead of Alexandre Demange (DMG MORI Sailing Academy 2) and Robinson Pozzoli (UOUM), who put up a good fight in rough conditions.
In the Mini series, victory went to 25-year-old Paul Cousin (AFP-Groupe Biocombustibles, 981), who completed the race in 1 day, 17 hours, 35 minutes and 31 seconds, fifth overall. A graduate of the Optimist program and former French Espoirs 420 champion, he confirms his rise to prominence on the Mini circuit. He finished ahead of Amaury Guérin (Groupe Satov) and Quentin Mocudet (Saveurs & Délices), the latter narrowly edging out Deniz Bagci for third place.
there were 11 retirements, including that of Julien Letissier (Frérots-Branchet), who was forced to stop after dismasting north of Belle-Île while in the lead.
This 2025 edition will live long in the memory: strong winds, a coastal course riddled with pitfalls, lucidity put to the test, and many newcomers with impressive tenacity. Special mention must go to the women, with Awen Le Huec (NST Racing), 7th in the Proto class, and Margot Vennin (Kefeleg), 5th in the Series class.
With just a few months to go before the Mini Transat (start on September 21), the Pornichet Select was a full-scale dress rehearsal for a generation of sailors as keen as they are passionate.
