Une rentrée stylée

But before that major appointment, it’s time for the sixth edition of the 40 Malouine – La Trinquette, traditionally held in two stages.

The first part of the race, on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 September, counting towards the Class40 Channel – Atlantic Trophee, will see double-handed crews go head-to-head on a 24-hour offshore course between Saint-Malo and the Channel Islands: a highly technical challenge with a huge tidal range, strong currents and rocks scattered everywhere!

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, the Lodi Group Trophy will be a completely different exercise: a series of coastal races, this time sailed with full crews, giving skippers the opportunity to welcome partners and friends on board.

Best sailing spot ever! As the locals will tell you…
The format is a big hit with skippers such as Jules Bonnier – 190 – Plastic Odyssey, who has plenty of reasons to look forward to racing at home:

“Obviously, I’m really excited to be racing here in Saint-Malo. Racing at home is always a huge pleasure. The format is great: we can invite people on board with us, and on top of that, the sailing area is fantastic!

What’s the recipe for a win?

“From a sporting perspective, I’m not setting myself any specific numerical targets, but I obviously want to do well. I’m feeling good, and I just want to confirm that, enjoy myself… and if I enjoy it, things go well and I don’t make too many mistakes, the result should follow. Basically, you have to get everything right over 24 hours: on a short course, the margins are small, so it will come down to little details. It’s up to me to make sure I get everything right, and the result should follow.

For the crew, we’ve put together a really great group of friends, and we’re determined to do a good job! And honestly, if the conditions are right, sailing here is just incredibly cool!”

A true Saint-Malo local could hardly disagree, and this enthusiasm is very much shared by Loïc Féquet – 156 – Funae, another home sailor: “There’s no doubt that this is a really great sailing area.”

To make the most of it, Loïc has teamed up with Benoit Champanhac, who knows the area like the back of his hand, having sailed it upwind, downwind and reaching aboard F18s and Diam 24s, disciplines in which he excels. The pair know each other very well, having raced together several times, and Loïc, sailing his pointy-bow Class40, hopes to give the scows a run for their money, conditions permitting:

“If there isn’t much wind, we’ll be able to play with the others. The goal is to enjoy ourselves on the water and see how the new sails perform. As I’ve been training on my own, the 40 Malouine – La Trinquette will also be a great opportunity to race against the other boats and see where we stand.”

_{The Manche Atlantique Trophy: suspense at its peak}

On Friday, following the offshore race, we will know the podium for the Manche Atlantique Trophy, which comprises six races (Spi Ouest-France – Armen Race USHIP – CIC Normandy Channel Race – Round Ireland Yacht Race – Round Britain & Ireland Race – 40 Malouine – La Trinquette) for a total of 4,075 nautical miles.

At present, Robin Follin – 213 – Solano leads the standings by just 14 points over Pep Costa – 181 – VSF Sport and Luca Rosetti – 212 – Maccaferri Futura. The result of this 24-hour sprint could therefore shake up the provisional standings… yet another reason, if one were needed, to follow the 40 Malouine – La Trinquette very closely from Thursday onwards.

_{Follow the race live!}

The 40 Malouine – La Trinquette tracker will be available on our website!