Les Sables – Les Açores – Les Sables

A 2,600-mile return trip to separate the best Mini sailors

Start on July 1st, 2026 from Les Sables-d'Olonne, heading for Horta then back home: the 11th edition of Les Sables – Les Açores – Les Sables will be the decisive event of the Mini 6.50 season. With a 4.5 coefficient in the French Solo Offshore Racing Championship, no ambitious skipper can afford to miss it.

What's at stake goes beyond mere rankings. These 2,600 nautical miles sailed solo and unassisted represent the ultimate real-world test — the one that validates qualification for the Mini Transat, separates solid projects from fragile builds, and reveals true strategists.

A decade and a half of Atlantic duels

Born in 2006, the SAS has established itself as the biennial counterpart to the Mini Transat. Every even-numbered year, it offers racers unmatched offshore racing on the circuit.

It's nicknamed the "half Mini Transat," but that label is misleading. The psychological pressure of a return trip, with the obligation to set off again from Horta after touching land, makes it a race apart. The body relaxes at the stopover, but the mind must stay in race mode.

The 2024 edition — the 10th — reaffirmed the race's offshore DNA after COVID-related disruptions. Demanding conditions, notable retirements, gaps widened by the anticyclone: the classic SAS scenario, in short.

The course: two 1,270-mile legs battling the anticyclone

The route hasn't changed. Two legs symmetrical in distance, radically different in character.

• Leg 1 — Les Sables → Horta (Faial, Azores): ~1,270 miles. Navigate the edge of the Azores High without getting trapped. Too far south, you add miles. Too far north, you risk becalming in the heart of high pressure.
• Leg 2 — Horta → Les Sables: ~1,270 miles. Often faster thanks to western depressions offering downwind conditions and surfing. But the Bay of Biscay at the finish can deliver thunderstorms and unpredictable thermal winds.

What the 2024 stopwatches tell us

The midsummer start puts weather at the heart of all strategic thinking. With no external routing allowed — only SSB weather bulletins available — every routing decision commits the skipper alone to their reading of sky and sea.

Category A, 4.5 coefficient: the rules of engagement

The SAS belongs to the highest classification of Mini races outside circumnavigations.

• Solo and unassisted: no routing, no external help. Pure navigation.
• Cumulative time ranking over both legs. A poor first leg eliminates no one, but every lost minute weighs on the overall standings.
• 4.5 coefficient: for a skipper who missed an early-season race, it's the perfect opportunity to climb the national rankings. Validating 2,600 race miles also opens virtually automatic access to future events.

Find the complete Mini season calendar on spencer.club.

The contenders: who to watch in 2026?

The previous edition drew clear battle lines. The question is who will confirm them — or shake them up.

In Protos

Alexandre Demange established himself as the return leg reference in 2024, with a 7.10-knot average on the Horta-Les Sables leg. Romain Van Enis, winner of the outbound leg, proved his ability to read complex tactical situations better than anyone. These two will be the targets.

In Production

Joshua Shopfer (Mingulay) dominated the return with a time under 8 days — a remarkable production boat performance. Antonin Chapot (BIP BIP), third on leg 2 and a constant presence, embodies the consistency that makes overall classifications. Blaise Ribon (Corto) demonstrated his ability to bounce back after a difficult first leg.

The renewal factor

The Mini class regenerates quickly. New prototypes exploiting the latest rating rule developments will be on the start line. "Scow" hulls with round bows, now dominant in both Production and Proto, will continue pushing speed standards. Outsiders will need close watching.

Stakes beyond the finish line

Reliability versus speed

The 2024 edition cruelly reinforced this: Amaury Guérin, the announced favorite, had to retire on the first leg with major damage. Over 2,600 solo miles, a fast but fragile boat is worthless. Technical preparation — quality of deck hardware, system redundancy, rigor of pre-departure checks — weighs as heavily as polar speed curves.

Innovation and sustainability

The Mini Class launched a "V2.1 Programme" in 2024, focused on training and sustainability. The 2026 edition will be the first to fully integrate these directives over a complete cycle. Recyclable composite materials, high-efficiency solar panels, hydrogenerators: the Atlantic will serve as a full-scale laboratory.

Expected fleet

The SAS traditionally attracts around 70 competitors, mixing cutting-edge prototypes and production boats. This blend makes the race rich: the same weather conditions, the same ocean, but radically different approaches depending on whether you're sailing a foiling proto or a Pogo 3.

July 1st, 2026: the moment of truth

Between confirmation for 2024's revelations — Demange, Shopfer, Van Enis — and the emergence of new contenders, the battle promises to be tight on both sides of the anticyclone. For those targeting the Mini Transat, the SAS will be the first real qualifying exam. For others, a unique opportunity to measure themselves against the Atlantic solo on one of the most demanding courses in Mini racing.

Compare entered boats and follow race news on spencer.club.