Race management announces a shortened course
Departure on Friday, 24 April 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
To adapt to light—or even very light—wind conditions over the first two days of racing, and potentially again at the end of the course, Race Director Gilles Bricout announced on Thursday evening that the Trin’40 course would be shortened. This decision is justified both by the need to have the entire fleet back in port by Thursday at the latest, and for safety reasons.
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he latest forecasts showed a windless zone along the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the English Channel, with currents that could have caused the Class40 boats to drift into shipping lanes. As a precaution—especially given that this is the first solo race of the year—we chose to remove the two buoys initially planned off the coast of England and instead focus on the Bay of Biscay. This still offers a fantastic race area, with a theoretical distance of 702 nautical miles for the sailors to showcase their skills.Each competitor will also be free to choose which side to pass Belle-Île, which could help open up tactical options, hopefully with some thermal breeze building to allow the fleet to pick up speed.One thing is certain: the first day of racing will be all about tactics and concentration—and it will seriously test the sailors’ patience!
Gilles Bricout, Race Director of the Trin’40
