Joining the discussion for the Class40 category were several sailors who have raced or are still competing in the class: two-time defending champion Yoann Richomme, Estelle Greck, Thomas Jourdren, Aurélien Ducroz, and Jean Marre.
With 49 boats on the starting line, Class40 is, as usual, the most heavily represented fleet, and in our experts’ view, the competition has never been fiercer, with at least fifteen skippers capable of reaching the podium. “It’s truly the most evenly matched fleet, with the highest number of podium contenders,” confirms Thomas Jourdren, who hoped to be on the starting line but was unable to secure a budget. “What’s particularly striking compared to the last edition is that, while four years ago you could see real performance gaps depending on the naval architects, today the fleet has become remarkably uniform and speeds have leveled out; everyone has managed to smooth out their weak points and build on their strengths.”
Jean Marre, who also hunted for a budget in vain, agrees: “A few years ago, you couldn’t afford to be on the wrong boat—certain designs clearly stood out. Today, that’s far less true. I must admit that if I had to pick just one, I’d really struggle to decide. As a result, calling a top three is extremely difficult.” For Yoann Richomme, “given how tight the competition is, it remains a massive challenge to finish on the Class40 podium.”
When it comes to predictions, however, two sailors stand out head and shoulders above the rest: Guillaume Pirouelle and Corentin Douguet, who, as Aurélien Ducroz notes, “have swept up most of the wins over the past two seasons; they are consistently just ahead of the pack and make very few mistakes.” The former (Sogestran Seafrigo, 32), after winning the 2025 Transat Café L’Or, claimed victory this year aboard his Mach 40.5 (Manuard design) in the Trin’40 and the CIC Normandy Channel Race. The latter (SNSM, Faites un don !, 52), winner of the 2025 CIC Normandy Channel Race on his new Lift V3 (Lombard design), took solo line honors this July in the Drheam-Cup.
Slight Edge to Pirouelle
Ahead of Douguet
Our experts give a narrow edge to the Normandy skipper, of whom Jean Marre says: “What’s impressive is how, alongside Cédric Chateau, Guillaume managed to set up a training base in Le Havre that gives the hubs in La Trinité and Lorient a run for their money. They log endless miles on the water, they constantly develop the boat, and they bring incredible intensity to everything they do. It’s quite inspiring, and that’s how Guillaume arrives at the Rhum so razor-sharp, beyond his undeniable raw talent.”
Estelle Greck, who has sailed on a Mach 40.5, adds: “Initially, I would have said the boat is less at ease than the Lift V3, but they modified her heavily and Guillaume has proven that he’s fast at every point of sail today.” Comparing it to Corentin Douguet’s Lombard design, Aurélien Ducroz reckons that “both have unbelievable machines, but I think Guillaume is the one getting the absolute most out of his.”
That doesn’t stop our experts from ranking Corentin Douguet—3rd in the 2022 Route du Rhum and runner-up in last year’s Transat Café L’Or—neck and neck with his rival. “Corentin has reached full maturity; he’s been chasing the challenge of winning the Rhum for years, he learned valuable lessons from his previous campaign, and he has been at the top of his game ever since launching his boat,” analyzes Yoann Richomme. “Among the favorites, he’s the one with the most experience; he may not have had the full resources he hoped for to prep for his Rhum, but he remains a fierce competitor,” adds Aurélien Ducroz. For Thomas Jourdren, in addition to having in the Lift V3 “a boat with no blind spots that maintains consistently high speeds, Corentin has a real hunger for victory—for him, it’s pretty much win or bust.”
Loison Pulling a Richomme?
Behind this leading duo, our experts place Alexis Loison (Groupe Réel, 42) in “only” 3rd, purely because his Lift V3 was only launched in July. “He will likely be a few miles short on the water, but he remains an exceptional sailor,” comments Aurélien Ducroz regarding the 2025 Solitaire du Figaro winner. For Estelle Greck, “even if the boat is arguably less dialed-in and bulletproofed than its rivals, Alexis showed how formidable he is by winning the 40′ Malouine (in September) when he had barely gotten his hands on her.” Prompting Jean Marre to remark: “He’s entirely capable of pulling off a Yoann-style coup [Richomme won in 2018 and 2022 aboard Class40s launched in June and July, Ed.].“
Among the outsiders, a good ten skippers are touted as potential podium contenders, first and foremost Axel Tréhin (Exalt, 38), also sailing a Lift V3 launched in the spring, of whom Thomas Jourdren says: “He knows the class inside out, this is his second boat, and he has shown top-end pace this season,” as evidenced by his 4th-place finishes in both the Trin’40 and the CIC Normandy Channel Race. Jourdren also considers that on the defending-champion Lift V2 design, Achille Nebout (Amarris, 36), who “has logged countless miles,” and Fabien Delahaye (Legallais, 42), “who has continuously upgraded his Lift V2,” are genuine podium threats.
Jean Marre also points to Robin Follin (Solano, 31) — “He was a bit frustrated last year because he struggled to perform as well as he wanted, but taking 3rd in the Drheam-Cup got his head back in the game and I think he’s truly hungry for it” — and William Mathelin Moreaux (Patapain Les Invincibles, 32), who “finally has the backing to match his ambitions and is peaking after 8 years in Class40 before moving up to IMOCA next year.”
Estelle Greck doesn’t forget “my Pepito,” namely Pep Costa (VSF Sports, 27), “capable of landing on the podium” aboard his Musa 40, while the names of Luca Rosetti (Macaferri Futura, 31), Guillaume L’Hostis (Alternative Sailing-Constructions du Belon, 33), Quentin Le Nabour (Bleu Blanc Planète Location, 37), Pierre Leboucher (Institut Imagine, 45), Jules Bonnier (Plastic Odyssey, 30), and Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel, 45) are also in the conversation. There are question marks around Lipinski, whose Raison design launched in 2024 has taken time to hit its stride (though he did win the Globe 40): “They never let up and put in an immense amount of work; the Globe 40 must have taught them a great deal, so there’s every chance he could be the surprise of the race,” notes Jean Marre.
Our experts’ podium: 1. Guillaume Pirouelle, 2. Corentin Douguet, 3. Alexis Loison
Photo : Manon Le Guen / Trin’40
