Solo Guy Cotten

Fifty Years of Solo Guy Cotten: Concarneau Prepares an Exceptional Edition

Fifty editions. Half a century of solo sailors launching from Concarneau to take on the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay. From 8 to 15 March 2026, the Solo Guy Cotten celebrates this anniversary with a fleet that promises to set the pontoons of the "Valley of Fools" alight.

The first major fixture on the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship calendar (coefficient 2), this race sets the tempo for an entire season. Who will emerge from winter with the best boat, the best settings, the clearest head? The answer will be delivered here.

From the Course de l'Aurore to Foils

The story begins in 1970, under the name "Course de l'Aurore", with Half-Tonners as the boats of choice. Since then, the race has embraced every technological evolution of the Figaro class — Figaro 1 in 1991, Figaro 2 in 2003, then the Figaro Bénéteau 3 since 2019, the world's first production foiling monotype.

The performance leap is spectacular: average speeds have jumped from around 12 knots to over 15.5 knots in favourable conditions. Faster, but also more physical, wetter, more mentally demanding. The Figaro 3 forgives nothing.

The Legacy of 2025

The previous edition crowned Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean), imperious in his consistency against constant pressure from Jules Ducelier and Tom Goron. But the defining moment came elsewhere: six competitors — including Alexis Loison, winner on the line of the long race — were hit with 15-minute penalties for entering the exclusion zone around Belle-Île. The podium was turned upside down. A brutal reminder: in singlehanded racing, navigation is won on the chart as much as on the water.

A Course Designed for Tacticians

The course remains true to the race's DNA: start and finish in Concarneau, with Southern Brittany as the playing field.

The Long Race, Centrepiece of the Event

The offshore loop of approximately 270 nautical miles forms the heart of the race. The classic marks — Les Birvideaux, rounding Belle-Île, a beat back to Occidentale de Sein or Chaussée de Sein — impose constant strategic decisions. Count on roughly 48 hours at sea, with no safety net.

March in Brittany: Atlantic Lottery

March shows no mercy. The race week could see:

• Unstable winds of 8 to 15 knots early in the programme
• A marked increase with gusts beyond 20 knots during a westerly frontal passage mid-week
• A building sea that will demand careful foil management — or risk breakage

Three Formats, One All-Rounder

The Solo Guy Cotten stands out for its multi-leg format that rewards complete sailors. The overall classification is determined by cumulative results across three very different disciplines.

Coastal Courses

Around 26 miles around the Glénan archipelago, essentially a giant sausage course. Tight starts, constant manoeuvres, close-quarters tactics. Fleet racing at its most intense.

Constructed Courses

Short legs of around 6 miles, fierce, where pure speed and reactivity make the difference. No time to think.

The Long Race

The 270-mile offshore leg, the big one. It carries the most weight in the final classification, testing endurance, sleep management, long-term strategy. Whoever wins it gains a considerable advantage.

Respecting exclusion zones (TSS, Natura 2000 areas, rocky coastlines) remains a critical concern after the lessons of 2025.

Clash of Generations

The 2026 fleet offers a rare confrontation between the experience of established names and the hunger of a rising generation that no longer has anything to prove in terms of speed.

The Established Favourites

• Alexis Thomas (Wings of the Ocean) — Defending champion, he displayed impressive consistency in 2025. The man to beat.
• Jules Ducelier (Région Normandie) — Second in last year's long race, capable of matching anyone in pure boatspeed.
• Alexis Loison (Groupe Réel) — Fifteen participations to his name. First across the line in the 2025 long race before his penalty. The speed is still there, undiminished.

The Rising Challengers

• Tom Goron — Third in the 2025 long race, his rapid progression makes him a natural podium contender.
• Hugo Cardon (Hugo Sarth' Atlantique) — Dominated the Rookie classification in 2025, winning all three legs in his category. He steps up to the big leagues with multiplied ambitions.
• Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif 2025) — Leader of the provisional overall classification after the inshore legs last year, a constant presence at the front of the fleet.

Find the complete list of entries and compare boats on spencer.club.

The Real Stakes Go Beyond Concarneau

The Race for the National Title

Coefficient 2 in the French Elite Championship: launching your season strongly here means banking precious points and confidence before the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec (coefficient 5), the season's monument.

The Post-Winter Test Bed

After months in the boatyard, the Solo Guy Cotten serves as the first full-scale stress test. New sail inventories, refined foil settings, electronics reliability — everything must be validated in real conditions. In 2025, Thierry Levayer on Alofi had to retire with electrical problems. A reminder that technology can destroy weeks of preparation in minutes.

Concarneau, Offshore Racing Capital

For the town, its partners and the public, the event remains an exceptional showcase. The enthusiasm on the pontoons and online tracking continues to grow, confirming Concarneau and Port-la-Forêt's status as the undisputed epicentre of French offshore racing.

Fiftieth edition, exceptional fleet, demanding format: the 2026 Solo Guy Cotten concentrates everything that makes the Figaro circuit so rich. Precision in close-quarters racing, endurance offshore, flawless navigation through exclusion zones — the keys to success are known. What remains is to see who will turn them. See you on 8 March on the Concarneau pontoons.

Follow the complete season calendar on spencer.club.