On Saturday, January 17, the Class40 gathered in Paris for the traditional Champions' Evening, an annual event dedicated to celebrating the sporting achievements and the people who bring the Class to life throughout the season.
The event honored the winners of the Europe Trophy, the Mediterranean Trophy, and the 2025 Class40 Championship in a friendly atmosphere that reflected the values of the Class.
An evening punctuated by live exchanges
The Champions' Evening also featured several live appearances, providing a special link with the skippers currently competing in various races around the globe. Since the fourth stage of Globe40, Djemila Tassin and Benoît Hantzperg have been sharing their experiences and daily life at sea aboard Belgium Ocean Racing – Curium. Sam Manuard, winner of the 2025 Best Architect Award, spoke alongside Antoine Magré, currently competing in the RORC Transatlantic Race. A highlight of the evening was a live discussion with Guillaume Pirouelle and Pierre Le Boucher, from Sodebo Ultim 3, currently attempting to break the Jules Verne Trophy record.
The 2025 winners in the spotlight
The awards ceremony recognized individual and collective performances throughout the season:
During the evening, Benoît Sineau, skipper of Ekinox, was honored with the awards for Best Rookie and Best Amateur. Pierre Le Boucher, voted Best Crew Member, spoke about his future sporting plans, indicating that at the start of the 2026 season, opportunities could arise if places became available on board certain boats, also hinting at the possibility of participating in the Route du Rhum, although no plans have been finalized at this stage.
Alexandre Bellangé and Louis Mayaud were honored as skippers of the first Pointu BELCO CEC, while Pamela Lee (#EMPOWHER), crowned the first woman in the championship, shared her ambition for the coming season. She expressed her goal of competing in her first Route du Rhum in 2026, with the aim of becoming the first Irish woman to take part in the event, highlighting the experience and lessons learned throughout the past season.
Third in the championship, Guillaume L'Hostis (Alternative Sailing-Constructions du Belon) looked back on a year marked by consistency, without any podium finishes or victories, but consistent enough to secure him a solid third place in the overall standings. Fabien Delahaye (Legallais), second in the championship, praised a rich and varied season, highlighting the consistency of his performances despite a season finale that he would have liked to have been more successful, and confirmed his ambition to reach the finish line of the Route du Rhum in 2026.
Finally, Mikaël Mergui (Centrakor Hirsch) was rewarded as the winner of the Mediterranean Trophy, while Cédric Château and Guillaume Pirouelle (Seafrigo–Sogestran) won the Europe Trophy, crowning a season of very high level.
An increasingly competitive championship
Cédric de Kervenoaël emphasized the high standards and quality of the Class40 field: “The level of this championship is extremely high. Our mission is to continue to improve it and promote the Class40. You are its best representatives.”
Pirouelle/Château, 2025 champions Winners of the 2025 Class40 Championship, Cédric Château and Guillaume Pirouelle praised the evolution and richness of the Class: “The Class40 now offers an exceptional field. There were 17 boats in 2017 and, despite this growth, the Class continues to welcome amateurs and professionals alike. That's what makes it so strong.” "
Guillaume Pirouelle also confirmed his future plans:
“I'll be back in 2026 aboard Sogestran–Seafrigo with the Route du Rhum at the end of the season as my goal. We'll have to work hard to keep up with the competition.”
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