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With six decades under its belt, the Semaine Nautique Internationale de la Méditerranée is one of the events that have shaped the culture of regattas in the Mediterranean. For this 60th edition, organized from Friday April 3 to Monday April 6, 2026, the SNIM is building on its strengths: varied courses, a dense fleet and a harbor in Marseille that never leaves you indifferent.
A historic regatta in the Mediterranean landscape
Created by the Société Nautique de Marseille, the SNIM has accompanied the development of liveaboard sailing for several generations. With the club's 140th anniversary approaching in 2027, this 60th edition is a reminder of the structuring role played by the Marseilles-based institution in local and national nautical life.
Over the years, the SNIM has seen a succession of boats, gauges and champions, while retaining a format accessible to both amateur crews and professional teams. This continuity explains its special place in the spring regatta calendar.
Courses designed to play with the harbour and the open sea
The SNIM 2026 is built around banana and coastal courses in the Olympic harbor, plus a major race open to IRC 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as solo and double-handed crews.
These formats allow you to exploit the full variety of Marseille's waters. Thermal breezes, coastline effects, tilts and soft spots are all part of the game, both in the harbor and out in the open, where the open sea often imposes a different rhythm and different tactical choices.
A dense fleet and varied classes
Every year, the SNIM brings together over 100 crews. IRC-rated monohulls, SER certificate holders and one-design fleets come together on the same starting line, in an atmosphere where competition remains serious without excluding conviviality.
The event is part of the IRC Mediterranean Championship calendar, for both crewed and double-handed events. For many competitors, the SNIM is a highlight of the season, as much for gauging their sporting performance as for validating their settings at the start of the year.
A down-to-earth atmosphere that's part of the event
In addition to the races held on the water, the SNIM is distinguished by its atmosphere on land. For the duration of the event, the pontoons of the Vieux Port and the Société Nautique de Marseille become a meeting place for crews, préparateurs and enthusiasts.
This dimension contributes greatly to the regatta's identity. It also makes the SNIM an event where people come to share a common sailing culture, pass on their experience and meet several generations of sailors.
An anniversary of environmental responsibility
For this 60th edition, Société Nautique de Marseille is highlighting its environmental commitments. The club, which has long been involved in the Blue Flag and Clean Harbors initiatives, is inviting crews to adopt eco-responsible practices throughout the event.
Waste reduction, elimination of single-use plastic, use of reusable water bottles, respect for waste sorting systems and limiting motor use are just some of the expected gestures. Particular attention is also paid to preserving the seabed in the vicinity of the National Park, with strict respect for anchorage zones and seagrass beds.
A four-day program
SNIM 2026 kicks off on Thursday, April 2, 2026, with confirmation of entries and measurement checks. Friday, April 3, 2026 marks the start of the sporting action, with a skippers' briefing at 10:30 a.m. and a launch at 3:00 p.m., followed by the start of the main race, weather permitting.
Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5, 2026 are devoted to the rounds in the harbor and the coastal courses, with briefings at 9:30 a.m. and sea availability at 11 a.m. Monday April 6, 2026 closes the regatta, with the last possible start at 3:30 pm, before the prize-giving ceremony scheduled for 7 pm.
Société Nautique de Marseille, a club in the heart of the Old Port
Founded in 1887, the Société Nautique de Marseille is affiliated with the Fédération Française de Voile (French Sailing Federation) and is an allied club of the Yacht Club de France. Under a delegated public service contract, it manages a stretch of water with 8 pannes, representing some 560 boats in the Vieux Port.
A major player in French regattas, the club organizes benchmark events throughout the year, including the SNIM, the Quadra Solo Duo, the Vire Vire Banque Populaire Méditerranée and the Voiles du Vieux Port. The club also boasts a major sailing school, which trains over 1,600 sailboat trainees every year.
At 60 years of age, the SNIM continues to write its history, between the harbor, the open sea and transmission. A regatta where people come to race seriously, but also to sail in a setting that remains, six decades later, one of the most demanding and endearing in the Mediterranean.
