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The Ocean Fifty Series championship took on a new dimension this week in the Bay of Ajaccio. For four days, the 50-foot trimarans alternated built and coastal courses between Porticcio and the Sanguinaires Islands, on a technical stretch of water where the gaps often came down to a few lengths.
Decisive consistency
In Ajaccio, Elvest Sailing Team built its success on a series of consistent results. In ten races sailed, the trimaran skippered by Sébastien Rogues never finished higher than fourth.
This approach contrasts with that of Lazare, which was very fast in some races but was penalized on the final day after an early start. Erwan Le Draoulec's boat won four of the ten races, twice as many as Elvest. But in a format that mixes technical and coastal courses, every mistake has an immediate impact on the overall ranking. Elvest's team proved particularly strong in the transition phases. Jean Baptiste Gellée, Florian Guezennec, Pierre Brasseur and Colombe Julia maintained a steady pace in the maneuvers, limiting losses of speed when tacking and gybing.
Sébastien Rogues sums up this permanent tension: "We win with very small gaps. Everything can be reversed very quickly. "This phrase is a good illustration of the way modern Ocean Fifty racing works, where the differences in performance between the teams are progressively reduced.
Live starts and arbitration
Several contentious starts and immediate penalties punctuated the final day.
The system of on-board umpires or umpires positioned on the race course has profoundly changed the way races are run. Crews are now aware of penalties almost instantaneously. This reduces the need for lengthy disputes ashore, but also increases the pressure in the final seconds before the signal.
The case of Lazare illustrates this problem. According to Erwan Le Draoulec, a poorly negotiated right-of-way situation with a competitor forced him to bear away suddenly to avoid a collision, resulting in a premature crossing of the line. The increasing number of claims also shows that the overall level of the field continues to improve. Eight trimarans are now within striking distance of each other, and several teams have won at least one race this week.
Ajaccio Bay confirms its interest
The waters off Ajaccio made a big impression on the crews this week. Between the old town, the port of Tino Rossi, Porticcio and the Sanguinaires islands, conditions were ideal for alternating tactical navigation and speed.
For organizers, this type of bay offers several advantages. The relief of the bay creates a variety of aerological effects, which are useful when it comes to deciding between crews. And the immediate proximity to the city makes it easier to welcome the public and carry out logistical operations.
The Ocean Fifty benefited from a stable wind for the Mediterranean, with relatively easy seas throughout the event. In these conditions, the trimarans were able to maintain high speeds without suffering the violent impacts seen in oceanic cross seas. The coastal courses to the Sanguinaires Islands also served as a reminder of the importance of reading the coastal relief in the Mediterranean. Crews had to deal with localized acceleration, downwind zones and rapid wind oscillations. This diversity is of particular interest to sailors coming from the Atlantic. Mediterranean sailing requires more frequent adjustments and constant adaptation to thermal effects and terrain.
Welcoming the public is another important aspect of the circuit. The organizers have set up the trimarans in the heart of the town, allowing visitors, schoolchildren and sailing clubs to get up close and personal with the boats. For a class looking to raise its profile, this proximity is essential.
Passing the baton from Sébastien Rogues to Matthieu Perraut
Beyond the victory, the Elvest team is already preparing the rest of its sporting program. Sébastien Rogues will be leaving the helm to Matthieu Perraut for the upcoming events, notably the Drheam Cup and the 24H Ultim.
The main objective now remains the Route du Rhum 2026. The class is also continuing to work on platform reliability. The capsizings and damage observed in recent seasons are a reminder that these trimarans are often sailing at speeds close to those of Ultims in certain conditions.
In Ajaccio, the narrow gaps finally show that no team really dominates the field. Behind Elvest and Lazare, Edenred, Plastic Odyssey Fifty and Sodebo Fifty remain capable of playing for the top spots, depending on weather conditions and race formats.
