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The 2026 Olympic sailing season kicks off where the Games left their mark. In Marseille, on the water of the Stade Nautique Florence Arthaud, the Fédération Française de Voile is setting up a redesigned French Elite Championship, positioned as a structuring gateway to the international circuit.
More than just a national championship, the event is designed as a strategic gathering for the entire Olympic sector.
A new formula designed for performance
The Championnat de France Élite 2026 takes place from February 18 to 22, 2026, on the eve of the launch of the major international events. The timing is not insignificant. After the winter break, often marked by training camps abroad, the aim is to bring together all the French athletes and their coaches to take stock of the sporting situation.
While the competition retains its national title, it also assumes a laboratory role. Race formats, analysis tools and technical equipment will all be tested under real-life conditions. The aim is clear: to fine-tune preparation for major international events and the next Olympic cycle leading up to Los Angeles.
A rally for the entire industry
In addition to the French A Team, the championship includes youngsters from the Pôles France and Pôles Espoirs. This direct confrontation with the leaders enables us to measure the differences in level and create continuity between the generations.
For young sailors, sailing on the same race course, in the same equipment as national team medallists or managers, is a strong reference point. For coaches, it's also an opportunity to observe progress and identify areas for improvement.
Marseille, a tool inherited from the Games
Marseille was an almost natural choice. The water, known for its thermal effects and mistral winds, remains demanding. The infrastructures developed for the 2024 Olympic Games offer a structured setting, capable of accommodating over a hundred athletes as well as the technical cells.
The Stade Nautique Florence Arthaud allows us to centralize training, recovery, debriefing and analysis. This proximity of resources encourages cross-disciplinary work between physical trainers, weather specialists, data analysts and coaches.
Test and analyze
The new formula also enables us to work on the formats proposed by World Sailing for future Olympic events. Medal Series, race sequences, recovery time management - all these parameters can be observed within a controlled national framework.
The use of technological tools such as drones, GPS and detailed trajectory analysis is an integral part of the system. This type of experimentation is more difficult to set up on international stages, where the priority remains the immediate result.
A point of passage before the big dates
Positioned before the Sailing Grand Slam stages and the world championships, this French Elite Championship acts as the first official confrontation of the year. It serves as a validation of the winter's work, and raises the stakes in preparation.
Eighteen months after the Paris 2024 Games, Marseille's harbor is once again a center of gravity for French Olympic sailing. Not just for handing out national titles, but for structuring a collective dynamic. In the run-up to Los Angeles, every season counts, and the 2026 season begins in the Mediterranean.
