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Announced as a prologue, the departure from Lorient on august 31, 2025 will mark the first real-life experience for the crews taking part in the second edition of the Globe40. This warm-up loop precedes the actual departure from Cadiz, scheduled for September 2025.
A first confrontation before Cadiz
This prologue is not a mere formality: it's a timed sail that will allow the teams to assess each other's performance, test the new sails and settle the final technical details. Although this exercise has no direct impact on the overall ranking, it often determines the dynamics of the race.
Logistics centered on Lorient
As Europe's leading ocean racing center, Lorient is making its infrastructures available to welcome the 16 Class40s and their teams. As the starting port for the first edition in 2022, Lorient will continue to play a key role in the race organization, with its well-established organization, equipped pontoons and launching facilities.
A double-handed race with crew rotation
The double-handed format, with the possibility of changing a crew member at each stage, remains a particular feature of the Globe40. This flexibility means that effective onboard communication is essential. The prologue thus becomes a testing ground for automatisms and the distribution of tasks.
The 2025-2026 fleet takes shape
Confirmed Class40s include projects such as Freedom (Thibaut Lefevre), Barco Brasil (José Caldas), Whiskey Jack (Mélodie Schaffer), or even Credit Mutuel (Ian Lipinski). This diversity of profiles, between seasoned skippers and young tandems, gives this prologue a technical but also a human dimension.
A moment open to the public
Last but not least, this prologue in Lorient is an opportunity for the public to come and meet the boats and crews. The pontoons will be accessible, entertainment will be provided, and online mapping will enable you to follow this first confrontation live.
