Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération

The final crash-test before the Vendée Globe

September 2028, Lorient roadstead. The fastest IMOCAs on the planet will line up one last time before diving into the deep South. The Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération is not just another autumn regatta: it's the fleet's barometer, the moment of truth where technological bluffs crumble and real power dynamics emerge.

Classified Grade 4 by IMOCA, the event awards 50 points to the winner in the Globe Series championship. Most importantly, it offers skippers one of their final opportunities to validate racing miles and solidify their qualification for the 2028-2029 Vendée Globe.

A format forged by seventeen years of high standards

Since its creation in 2011, the Défi Azimut has evolved. Initially calibrated for 24 hours, it shifted in 2019 to a 48-hour format — a true offshore loop of 500 to 550 miles in the Bay of Biscay, with two nights at sea.

The other distinctive feature: alternation. Odd years in doublehanded, even years in solo. In 2028, the race is therefore solo — exactly the conditions of the Vendée Globe. No co-skipper to share watch duty, no second brain to arbitrate a gybe at 3 a.m.

Three races, three faces of offshore racing

The Défi Azimut is not limited to the 48 Hours. The programme alternates coastal spectacle with offshore endurance.

The Speed Runs are sailed fully crewed between Île de Groix and Pointe du Talud. One flying nautical mile, times under 3 minutes, foils at full load. In 2023, Yoann Richomme clocked a time of 2min 40s — a benchmark that still stands.

The 48 Heures Azimut, the flagship event, starts from Lorient La Base for an Atlantic loop whose exact routing depends on the weather. Race management adjusts waypoints to guarantee a selective course, between coastal thermal winds and offshore low-pressure systems. This is the race that feeds into the Globe Series rankings.

The Chrono Tour de Groix closes the programme: a lap of the island fully crewed, about 17 miles, often tight racing. The record belongs to Vincent Riou since 2015 — 1h 08m 10s.

The hunt for Globe Series points

Behind the spectacle, the calculation is cold. Vendée Globe regulations require each skipper to finish at least one solo race of grade 2 or higher, or accumulate enough miles and points to rank among the top 37 in the championship.

The Défi Azimut, with its 50 points for the winner, isn't enough on its own to qualify a sailor. But it allows them to secure a position in the overall standings — especially since Grade 4 results are systematically counted, with no possibility of being discarded like the worst scores from higher grades. A few months before the start in Les Sables-d'Olonne, every point matters.

Favourites built for Lorient

The recent results of the 48 Hours reveal a clear hierarchy. Jérémie Beyou, double winner in 2019 and 2023, knows these waters inside out. Charlie Dalin, victorious solo in 2022 and doublehanded in 2021, has made this race his favourite playground. Thomas Ruyant and Yoann Richomme, formidable across all formats, complete the circle of contenders.

Find the complete IMOCA race calendar on spencer.club.

The Bay of Biscay, unpredictable arbiter

September in the bay is a lottery. Summer can linger with frustrating flat calms, or autumn can land abruptly in the form of a powerful depression. In 2023, a storm forced cancellation of the Tour de Groix — race management chose to preserve the fleet's integrity for the 48 Hours.

For foiling IMOCAs in solo configuration, the equation is simple: push hard to score points, without breaking equipment a few weeks before the Vendée Globe. A twisted rudder or damaged foil in September can ruin a four-year campaign.

Raw images from onboard

The Défi Azimut was a pioneer in integrating On-Board Reporters. Since 2023, their presence aboard has been mandatory for certain races. These reporters don't touch a sheet: they film, photograph, capture the intensity of life at sea in real time.

The result? Raw images that flood social media and livestreams, offering the public — and sponsors — total immersion. For the 2028 edition, with the Vendée Globe as backdrop amplifier, media visibility promises to reach a new level.

Rendezvous on 1 September

Solo configuration, fleet at its peak, maximum qualification stakes: the 2028 edition of the Défi Azimut concentrates all the tension of an IMOCA season entering its decisive phase. The docks of Lorient La Base will be the last place to see these boats side by side before they disappear, each one alone, toward the end of the world.

Compare the entered boats on spencer.club.