Porquerolle's Race

May 14, 2026, Hyères Roads: the Class 40 fleet will set off for the lap of Porquerolles, a treacherous course threading between wind shadows from cliffs and sudden accelerations at headlands. After the record-breaking 2025 edition with 63 competitors across all classes, this Mediterranean classic is stepping up to a new level.

A local regatta turned international fixture

Born from the drive of the Yacht Club de Porquerolles, the race long lived in the shadow of the season's major events. The setting—the Îles d'Or, Hyères Roads, its turquoise waters and fickle breezes—has always drawn a loyal following, from 12-Metre yachts to IRC fleets. But it was the fifth edition in 2025 that catapulted the event into another dimension: 559 sailors on the water, a spectacle of multicolored spinnakers across the roads, and fleet density that forced the race committee to orchestrate starts with metronomic precision.

The real turning point? The Class 40 invasion. These 40-foot offshore monohulls, designed for bluewater racing, have found perfect hunting grounds on this technical racecourse. For 2026, the race officially joins the class calendar. A seal of approval that changes everything: professional crews no longer have a choice—Porquerolles has become a compulsory stop.

The course: zero margin for error

Loop Porquerolles → Porquerolles

The route philosophy remains unchanged. Class 40s will tackle a lap of the island via the east, a short, intense coastal course where every tactical call carries weight. Under the cliffs, wind shadows can collapse a spinnaker in seconds. At the headlands, the breeze accelerates brutally. Spinnaker hoists and drops—sometimes chained at a frantic pace—will separate the crews.

Weather: the eternal wildcard

Hyères Roads in spring is a lottery. In 2025, "very light airs" forced the committee to delay starts. Other days offered stable easterly winds around ten knots under clear skies. Skippers in 2026 will need to bring an adaptable sail plan: you can go from flat calm to established breeze in minutes. Those who anticipate local shifts will gain a decisive edge.

A packed program, explosive format

Expected timeline

On May 14, crews will slip moorings around 9:00-9:15 AM. First warning signal scheduled for approximately 11:00 AM, conditions permitting. The race committee aims for rapid-fire sequential starts by class—IRC, Cape 31, 12-Metre, Class 40—to minimize on-water waiting and maintain tension.

Fleet management

Traffic control remains a major logistical challenge. Class 40s are sent on their coastal course (island lap), while other divisions race windward-leeward courses in the roads—to avoid interference. With dense fleets and tight mark roundings, the risk of gear failure is real. The challenge for each skipper: calibrate tactical aggression without compromising the rest of the season.

The contenders

Crosscall, the crew to beat

Aurélien Ducroz and Jonathan Chodkiewiez crushed the 2025 edition aboard the Class 40 Crosscall (#166). Their intimate knowledge of the racecourse—current traps, shift zones, optimal laylines—gives them a structural advantage. Ducroz, two-time freeride ski world champion turned offshore racer, brings instinctive terrain reading. Chodkiewiez delivers technical precision. Together, they've set a standard challengers must match.

The pack of outsiders

The Class 40, by design, levels the playing field. Centrakor has already proven its ability to challenge for the podium on this racecourse in previous editions. Other crews, sharpened by a winter of preparation, will arrive testing new sail configurations and validating duo cohesion. On such a short course, a single mistake—a botched spinnaker hoist, one tack too many under the cliffs—can flip the leaderboard.

What's really at stake on May 14

The season's first verdict

The Porquerolle's Race is more than just another regatta. It's the Class 40 season barometer. Teams concretely measure the impact of their winter work: new appendages, rig tuning, maneuver routine optimization. A strong result here establishes a crew in the hierarchy. A mechanical retirement can sink an entire program.

A showcase for the region

With 559 sailors and their technical teams in 2025, the event impacts the local economy—accommodation, restaurants, harbor logistics. For sponsors, the staging is ideal: racing boats at full tilt off the coves of Porquerolles, bathed in May light. The visual spectacle—"spinnakers of every color inflated across the roads"—lends itself perfectly to video capture and social media, multiplying visibility far beyond the Hyères waterfront.

Find the complete Class 40 season calendar on spencer.club.

Crosscall in pole position, but nothing's decided

The Ducroz-Chodkiewiez duo arrives with favorite status, local knowledge, and the confidence of a title. But the Class 40 punishes certainty. Wind that drops at the wrong moment, an unanticipated shift, a competitor who catches the right tack at the right time—and everything flips. That's precisely what makes this race addictive: on an island lap lasting just a few hours, the margin between victory and mid-fleet is measured in seconds.

On May 14, 2026, at Porquerolles, we'll know who did the best winter homework.