Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération

15 September 2026, Lorient La Base. Thirty IMOCA 60s lined up side by side, foils sharpened, skippers sailing solo. Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération enters its 16th edition with one certainty: here, there's no bluffing. What happens in the Bay of Biscay in September dictates the hierarchy for the rest of the season.

The final crash-test before the open ocean

Even year means the 2026 Défi Azimut is sailed solo. Gone is the relative comfort of double-handed racing — this time, each skipper must single-handedly manage these 18-metre machines capable of flying at over 30 knots. The timing is no coincidence: positioned just weeks before the major ocean races at year's end, the event serves as a full-scale dress rehearsal.

For the teams, it's the moment of truth. They validate the latest foils, test a new sail, fine-tune the cockpit ergonomics. And stare their dock neighbour straight in the eye.

From a handful of boats to the epicentre of the IMOCA class

The story of Défi Azimut can be told in one number: five boats at the start in 2011, nearly thirty expected in 2026. Between the two, a meteoric trajectory driven by the vision of Jean-Marie Corteville and Azimut company.

The Sailing Valley as backdrop

The partnership with the Cité de la Voile Éric-Tabarly and Lorient Agglomération has given the event a powerful territorial anchor, at the heart of Brittany's "Sailing Valley." Integration into the official IMOCA Globe Series calendar completed the transformation of this atypical regatta into an unmissable fixture.

Recent milestones

• 2023: record edition with 34 boats — so many that the port nearly reached saturation. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) claimed victory in the Speed Runs in demanding autumn conditions.
• 2025: in double-handed mode, Britain's Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) won the 48 Hours, confirming the rise of international skippers on the circuit.

Three events, one verdict

The DNA of Défi Azimut is its combined format — a nautical triathlon that exposes every weakness and rewards versatility.

Speed Runs

Knockout sprint in Lorient harbour. Pure speed, flight capacity, guaranteed spectacle for crowds massed on the docks. No championship points, but immense prestige — and performance data scrutinised by every team.

48 Heures Azimut

The jewel in the crown. A loop of roughly 500 nautical miles starting and finishing in Lorient, custom-designed by race management according to the weather. Classified Grade 4 in the IMOCA Globe Series championship (coefficient 1), this offshore race tests endurance, weather strategy and solo sleep management. Points earned here carry serious weight in qualification for major events.

Tour de Groix

Coastal course of around 40 miles. Rapid manoeuvres, tactical finesse, direct contact with spectators. The ideal format to separate boats that the open ocean failed to split.

The course: Biscay, judge and jury

The 48 Hours route exploits the caprices of the Bay of Biscay in early autumn. Spectacular start off Groix or the Cité de la Voile, then heading toward a virtual waypoint offshore — where equinoctial weather systems can reshuffle the entire deck. The return to Lorient, often marked by unstable winds, demands absolute vigilance right to the line.

In mid-September, the Bay can deliver royal downwind runs or tight upwind slogs in 35 knots. Past editions have proved it: here, the weather gives no quarter.

The field

The final entry list remains to be confirmed, but the current hierarchy already sketches the battle lines.

• Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) — Reigning 48 Hours winner in double-handed, he'll need to prove his speed holds up solo.
• Jérémie Beyou (Charal) — Fresh from victory on the Transat Café L'Or, he arrives with a Manuard design whose versatility remains to be demonstrated in short format.
• Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) — King of the Speed Runs in 2023, he now targets offshore victory. The shift from sprint to endurance will be his challenge.
• Alan Roura (Swiss Offshore Team) — In rebuilding phase, the Swiss sailor aims for a strong comeback with improved reliability.

The duels between latest-generation foilers and proven workhorses will be one of this edition's major storylines. Find technical sheets for entered boats on spencer.club.

Beyond the race: local impact

Under race management — historically led by figures like Francis Le Goff or Yann Eliès — Défi Azimut transcends the purely sporting realm.

The event enriches the Lorient Agglomération territory on multiple levels:

• Education: hundreds of local schoolchildren (500 in 2023) discover sailing and IMOCA technology through direct contact with teams.
• Scientific bridges: the regular presence of the schooner Tara creates a tangible link between ocean racing performance and marine protection.

With 28 boats expected, Lorient La Base's capacity will once again be tested — a luxury problem that testifies to the event's magnetic appeal.

The perfect balance

The entire tension of Défi Azimut 2026 rests on this equation: push the machine hard enough to score decisive championship points, without breaking equipment just weeks before the major transatlantic races. Sprint or conservation? Attack or management? Each skipper will decide alone, in the cockpit, facing the Bay of Biscay.

Follow the complete IMOCA season calendar on spencer.club.