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The announcement that La Solitaire du Figaro would switch to Ocean Fifty trimarans starting in 2028 sparked a serious debate about the future of the race. A few weeks later, opposition began to take shape. Founded on August 21, 2026, the Collectif pour La Solitaire claims to have more than 350 supporters and is calling for the reversal of the decision announced on July 17, 2026. Behind the battle over the name and the boat class lies a much broader question: what role should La Solitaire continue to play in French offshore racing?
The collective claims to have more than 350 supporters and 86 *Figaro* contributors
The Collectif pour La Solitaire brings together skippers, owners, boat preparers, offshore racing professionals, partners, volunteers, and enthusiasts. It reports that it has surpassed 350 signatories.
According to its own tally, this group includes 86 sailors who have competed in La Solitaire. The collective has amassed 496 race entries, 30 overall victories, 70 podium finishes, and 103 stage wins among these Figaro sailors alone.
These figures should be attributed to the collective, which is both their source and one of the parties involved in the debate. Nevertheless, they provide an indication of the level of engagement among some of the race?s former and current participants.
The movement is not content with simply calling for the Figaro Bénéteau 3 to be retained. Its charter sets out three demands: to reverse the decision of July 17, 2026, in order to initiate a consultation process; to explore a business model that would allow for the continuation of a one-design, training-oriented race; and to create a separate race for the Ocean Fifty class.
In other words, the signatories do not dispute the place of 15-meter trimarans on the racing calendar. They dispute their inclusion in La Solitaire du Figaro.
In 2028, La Solitaire will have to change much more than just its boat
The Figaro Group and OC Sport Pen Duick announced on July 17, 2026, that the 2027 edition would be the last to be sailed on Figaro Bénéteau 3 yachts. Starting in 2028, La Solitaire will be contested on Ocean Fifty yachts. The decision was made jointly by the race?s owner and its organizer.
The change is significant.
On the one hand, the Figaro Bénéteau 3 is a one-design series. This format puts competitors on identical boats and thus limits the role of technical development in determining the competitive hierarchy.
On the other hand, the Ocean Fifties are prototype trimarans. The competitive aspect obviously remains, but it?s based on a different logic, with boats built at different times that may have technical differences.
The number of competitors is the other key difference. The 2026 Solitaire drew 36 sailors, while the Ocean Fifty fleet consists of 11 boats, according to the organization.
The changes envisioned by the organizers also extend to the onshore event. Their press release explicitly states that the format must evolve to offer more entertainment, hospitality, and experiences during port calls.
The disagreement therefore centers on two different perspectives on the same race. The Figaro Group and OC Sport Pen Duick view the change in boat type as a way to adapt La Solitaire to current economic, media, and event-related expectations. The collective, on the other hand, believes that this transformation strips the race of several characteristics that have defined its sporting identity.
Monotype racing has become the real crux of the debate
The question of the number of boats does not capture the full scope of the issue. For opponents of the project, the end of the one-design format is the main change. La Solitaire has operated on this principle since 1991. The Figaro Bénéteau 1, Figaro Bénéteau 2, and then Figaro Bénéteau 3 have succeeded one another without calling into question the idea of a fleet sailing on the same boat class.
Of course, this material equality does not eliminate all differences. Budgets still determine the quality of preparation, training time, the sails available under the rules, and technical support. But the principle significantly curbs the race for technological development.
This is also what has allowed La Solitaire to play a unique role in the careers of professional skippers. A young sailor can directly compare his route choices, speed, and ability to sustain performance over multiple legs with those of sailors who already have a solid track record.
The Ocean Fifty project is taking a different direction. OC Sport Pen Duick explains that it intends to maintain a solo race, contested in stages and on a time basis, while increasing its appeal to partners, local communities, and the public.
Two definitions of the ?fundamentals? of La Solitaire are thus at odds. For the organizer, these fundamentals lie primarily in the solo nature of the race, the stages, the time-based ranking, and the race?s regional roots. For its opponents, the one-design format and the sport?s accessibility are just as integral to the race.
What has become of *Le Figaro*'s training program?
This is probably the most pivotal issue for French offshore racing.
The Solitaire is not just another race on the calendar. For several decades, the Figaro Circuit has served as a training and selection ground for sailors who go on to compete in Class40, IMOCA, ocean-going multihulls, or major crewed races.
The list of winners speaks for itself. Michel Desjoyeaux, Jean Le Cam, Armel Le Cléac'h, Jérémie Beyou, Yann Eliès, Nicolas Lunven, Yoann Richomme, Charles Caudrelier, and Franck Cammas are among the race?s winners.
The group draws precisely on this legacy to advocate for the continuation of a major annual one-design race.
However, the discontinuation of the Figaro Bénéteau 3 in La Solitaire does not automatically mean the end of the circuit. The Figaro Bénéteau Class has announced its intention to develop a new solo race. This is where much of the post-2027 era will be decided: will a newly created race be able to maintain the sporting, media, and commercial appeal associated with La Solitaire?
Because a single one-design class alone does not make a racing series. It requires a schedule, partners, technical teams, training centers, owners, and, above all, enough skippers to ensure a competitive field.
The Ocean Fifty finds itself caught in the middle of a conflict that is beyond its control
This debate must not turn into a trial of the Ocean Fifty. The class consists of fast, technically demanding trimarans, and several of its skippers have themselves competed in the Figaro. The issue raised by the group primarily concerns the replacement of one racing model with another under the same name.
The press release dated July 17, 2026, further clarifies the rationale behind the class. Its co-chair, Sébastien Rogues, explains that the proposal came from OC Sport Pen Duick and presents the future Solitaire as an event in the Ocean Fifty Series championship. He also notes that the race is intended to help crews prepare for the Route du Rhum.
This statement confirms that the project also meets the requirements of the Ocean Fifty schedule. However, it does not support the conclusion that the class is responsible for the cancellation of the Figaro Bénéteau 3.
The Collectif pour La Solitaire is therefore proposing a third option: to keep La Solitaire as a one-design race while simultaneously creating a major solo race for Ocean Fifty yachts. On paper, the two projects can coexist. Their feasibility, however, depends on matters that are far less romantic: funding, scheduling, host cities, partners, and the ability of both circuits to attract enough boats.
The battle is now shifting to the governance of the race
Beyond the choice between a monohull and a trimaran, the group is now raising the question of how the future of this historic race should be decided.
La Solitaire is owned by the Figaro Group, and its organization is handled by OC Sport Pen Duick. The organizer notes that it has been running the event since 2011. The official press release explicitly describes the change in vessel type as a joint decision by the two companies.
The collective does not dispute this legal reality. However, it believes that the sailors, the Figaro Bénéteau Class, the training organizations, and the regions associated with the race?s history should be involved in the discussion.
This is now his main leverage. The transition to the Ocean Fifty isn?t scheduled until 2028, and the 2027 edition is still set to be sailed on Figaro Bénéteau 3s. Opponents therefore have a little more than one season to try to reopen the issue.
It remains to be seen whether this mobilization will lead to a collaborative effort, two competing races, or simply two separate stories that will diverge after 2027. The next battle for La Solitaire will therefore not be fought solely on the water. It is already being fought around the negotiating table.
