CIC Normandy Channel Race 2026: A Strong Field for a Highly Competitive Event

The CIC Normandy Channel Race is once again set to deliver one of the season's highlights for the Class40 circuit. For this 17th edition, the Normandy race starting from Caen will bring together a particularly strong field, with 23 boats expected at the start, confirming its status as a must-attend event on the calendar.

Sailed in double-handed format over nearly 1,000 miles between the Bay of Ouistreham, the English Channel and the Celtic Sea, the race demands a challenging and technical course. Crews will need to handle demanding coastal navigation, crucial strategic choices and iconic waypoints such as the Isle of Wight, Fastnet Rock and the Channel Islands.

A race as fiercely contested as ever

The CIC Normandy Channel Race remains one of the most competitive events on the Class40 circuit. The density of the fleet, the constant closeness between boats and the meteorological complexity of the course make it a true real-world test for the competing duos.

Many favourites and a hard-to-call hierarchy

Anyone who can predict the winner of this 17th edition will deserve credit, as the field promises to be exceptionally strong. Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran-Seafrigo), reigning Class40 champion 2025 and outstanding in the first race of the season, will be able to count on Jules Ducelier alongside him. After two seasons in the Figaro, the Le Havre sailor has all the right cards for this sprint format.

The Spanish pairing of Pep Costa and Pablo Santurde Del Arco (VSF Sports) is also targeting victory. The two sailors know each other extremely well, and Pep will be able to draw on Pablo Santurde Del Arco's vast experience — a Class40 record that speaks for itself, with no fewer than 17 victories to his name.

The duo of Fabien Delahaye and Pierre Leboucher (Legallais) cannot be overlooked. Winner of the race in 2024, the Norman skipper knows the start area like the back of his hand, having honed his skills there brilliantly in Optimist, 420 and 470 dinghies — in other words, he is racing in his own backyard. As for Pierre Leboucher, a brand-new Class40 member, he will not hesitate to bring his wealth of experience to bear for his partner.

Axel Tréhin (Custopol) has set himself a simple goal: to become the first sailor to win the race three times. The Morbihan skipper has some strong cards to play — a brand-new V3 lift with which he posted a fourth place in his very first race just four days after launch, and a top-quality crewmate in Antoine Carpentier, who boasts no fewer than 16 Class40 podium finishes.

Among the outsiders, Quentin Le Nabour will form an experienced duo with Thierry Chabagny (Bleu Blanc Planète Location). The pair have been sharpening their skills together, having won the very recent Armen Race. Aboard Maccaferri Futura, Luca Rosetti and Pierre Brasseur will also have strong arguments to make.

In an increasingly close-matched fleet, the podium could once again be decided by the finest of margins.

Weather conditions will once again play a central role in this 2026 edition. In the Channel, gaps can open up rapidly depending on boat positioning within the tidal streams, particularly in strategic zones such as the Raz Blanchard, the Channel Islands or around the Isle of Wight.

Navigation promises to be all the more demanding as crews will constantly have to contend with dense maritime traffic, sometimes significant coastal effects and rapid meteorological transitions between the Channel and the Celtic Sea. In this context, the smallest error in positioning or timing can cost several miles, further reinforcing the tactical and unpredictable nature of the CIC Normandy Channel Race.

One thing is certain: this 2026 edition looks set to be, once again, wide open, fiercely contested and strategic right down to the finish line in Caen.

The start can be followed live on the France 3 website and on the Class40 Facebook page from 1:50 PM, from the Bay of Ouistreham.