A new addition to the calendar, the Trin’40, starting from La Trinité-sur-Mer, marked the first solo Class40 race since last July. While Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran-Seafrigo) dominated proceedings, Corentin Douguet (SNSM – Donate, 2nd), Fabien Delahaye (Legallais, 3rd) and Axel Tréhin (Affaire à Faire) kept up the pace and the fleet remained extremely tight. Race director Gilles Bricout, skippers Pauline Courtois and Alexis Loison, along with meteorologist Basile Rochut, break down the results.
While the Caribbean 600 in February and Spi Ouest-France BPGO in April had already featured Class40s, the Trin’40 was the true season opener for the 40-foot fleet. It was indeed the most competitive line-up of the early season, with thirty boats on the start line in La Trinité-sur-Mer for this first edition, organised by the class. Above all, many of the favourites for the Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe were present. It marked the first major solo showdown since the previous solo race last summer (the second leg of Les Sables–Horta).
The course, which ran along the Brittany coastline from Quiberon Bay before a round trip into the Bay of Biscay, was shortened before the start from the originally planned 1,200 miles to 700 miles. “The forecast light airs could have put the fleet at risk, potentially pushing them with the current into the Ouessant traffic separation scheme among commercial shipping,” explains race director Gilles Bricout. “Despite the shortened course, they encountered very light conditions early on, followed by significant instability due to a stationary front in the Bay of Biscay,” adds Basile Rochut, race meteorologist for Marine Weather Intelligence. “There was minimal pressure, making it difficult to pinpoint wind direction and strength.” For Pauline Courtois, these conditions pushed skippers “to be extremely precise and fully focused on boat performance.” “The unstable wind gave them no respite,” adds Alexis Loison.
Pirouelle,
“fast in all conditions”
The intensity was indeed relentless throughout the four days of racing. “Even Guillaume Pirouelle told me he sometimes hesitated to go and eat so as not to lose 0.5 to 1 knot of speed,” smiles Gilles Bricout. Yet the Norman skipper, aboard his Mach 40.5 Sogestran-Seafrigo, took the lead as early as the upwind leg along the Breton coast and held it throughout the Bay of Biscay loop. In terms of strategy, “he never made extreme calls, always opting for compromises and small adjustments. In these conditions, that was the right approach,” analyses Basile Rochut. “Guillaume remained conservative in his positioning, without engaging in fleet covering, while capitalising on the key wind shifts,” continues Alexis Loison. “He was fast in all conditions and executed excellent transitions that allowed him to extend his lead. He was on the right side of every move!” admires Pauline Courtois. “He’s like a metronome, overlooking no detail; at the finish, his shore team was surprised at how clean the boat still was,” adds Gilles Bricout. The winner is riding a strong wave of momentum, having already claimed victory in the Transat Café L’Or with Cédric Château and the Jules Verne Trophy with the Sodebo Ultim 3 crew.
However, Guillaume Pirouelle had to contend with strong resistance from several competitors, including Corentin Douguet (SNSM – Donate, Lift V3), who crossed the line just one hour later. “Corentin confirms his excellent form after a standout 2025 season [1st in the Fastnet Race, 2nd in the Transat Café L’Or],” recalls Alexis Loison. “He was only slowed at the start after missing an option in the light airs, but otherwise never let go,” adds the race director. Behind him, Fabien Delahaye “managed to strike the right balance, like Guillaume Pirouelle,” notes Basile Rochut. The Legallais skipper (Lift V2) once again demonstrated his solo prowess, having already won Les Sables–Horta (leg 2 and overall).
“You can already feel the boats
are fully ready”
Alexis Loison was also impressed by Axel Tréhin (Affaire à Faire), who finished 4th despite launching his Lift V3… on 9 April, just fifteen days before the start of the Trin’40. “We knew he would be competitive, but to be so close to the podium was remarkable,” he notes. Gilles Bricout also highlights the tenacity of Pierre Leboucher. Having raced the Trophée BPGO the previous week (14th with Tiphaine Ragueneau), he lined up aboard Penfret. “Right from the start, Pierre suffered a complete electronic blackout but held on all the way to the finish (9th),” says Gilles. Pauline Courtois also points to the performance of Théa Khelif (Women of Course), who finished 19th in her first solo Class40 race.
The five-time match racing world champion also emphasises that “the battle was intense at every level,” with “boats in close contact throughout the fleet.” There was little major technical damage and only one retirement, that of Vincent Riou (Pierreval – Fondation GoodPlanet, J1 damage). “Overall, you can feel the boats are already ready and that a huge amount of preparation work has been done,” notes Alexis Loison. “We are already into the fine details—minor settings and adjustments—but it’s clear the skippers already know their boats extremely well.” All, of course, have the Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe firmly in their sights.
“What’s impressive is the overall level across the fleet,” enthuses Pauline Courtois. “There is great depth, everyone is training hard, and it promises a fantastic battle at the Route du Rhum.” Preparation will continue over the coming weeks. Most competitors still need to complete their qualification, a 1,200-mile solo passage. A large part of the fleet is now expected in Normandy for the CIC Normandy Channel Race (starting 31 May in Caen) and the Drheam Cup (12 July in Cherbourg).
Photo : Manon Le Guen / Trin40 / Class40
