Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau on Seafrigo-Sogestran wins European Trophy
by Association Class40 30 Sep 16:02 BST
Seafrigo-Sogestran Class 40 © Vincent Olivaud / Les Sables - Horta 2025
It's back-to-school time, with most Class40s setting their sights on next month's Transat CAFE L'OR Normandie - Le Havre and others on the Rolex Middle Sea Race. But September also means the 40 Malouine - La Trinquette. The bay of Saint-Malo welcomed a fine fleet for a major double-handed offshore race, the final event of the 2025 Europe Class40 Trophy, and a weekend of crewed inshore racing.
Comprising six races (only the four best results count), the 2025 Class40 Europe Trophy ended this month, crowning Seafrigo-Sogestran's duo from Le Havre, Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Château, as winners for the first time. Guillaume L'Hostis (Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon) took second place and Fabien Delahaye (Legallais), despite only participating in three of the six races, completed the podium.
"Our victory in the European Trophy is great for the team. We had a difficult season last year when our boat was struck by lightning, which prevented us from racing for part of the season (but didn't stop them from breaking the record for the longest distance covered in 24 hours, 440.20nm! - editor's note), and this 2025 season is going really well. We're taking part in all the races, it's great to have a good season and a fairly full calendar offered by Class40," summarizes Guillaume Pirouelle.
The Europe Trophy began in April with the Spi Ouest France BPGO, won by C. Douguet and A. Tréhin. This was the first race for the Lift v3 and its first victory ahead of the Seafrigo-Sogestran and Amarris (A. Nebout) teams.
Barely a month later, the hotly contested CIC Normandy Channel Race was also won by the Douguet-Tréhin duo, followed once again by the duo from Le Havre, with Normandy's Fabien Delahaye (Legallais), assisted by Pierre Leboucher, completing the podium.
Next stop: Les Sables for the first stage of the Les Sables-Horta, double-handed, won by Italian team Maccaferri Futura. Spanish team VSF Sports and team Legallais completed the podium. The solo return leg was won by Fabien Delahaye, followed by William Mathelin-Moreaux and Pep Costa. Although G. Pirouelle and C. Château did not make it onto the stage podiums, they did make it into the overall rankings thanks to their 4th and 5th places!
At the end of July, it was back to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and crewed racing for the 100th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Third race and third victory for Corentin Douguet and his crew! After a summer break in August, racing resumed in September with the 40 Malouine - La Trinquette, won by G. Pirouelle and C. Château in both offshore and coastal racing.
"We are very happy with the result, which highlights several things, including how well our duo works together. We complement each other, and for my part, it's a pleasure to be able to sail with him. I realize how valuable it is to find a partner you want to sail with. We are also lucky to have our partners, Sogestran-Seafrigo, who have been with us since 2021. Given our season, we can hope for great things in the Transat CAFE L'OR, even though we know that anything can happen. Guillaume and I are 100% in sync on the development of the boat. Guillaume spends a lot of time on the technical side and I spend more time on the overall project, which frees him up to focus on the technical aspects of the boat," continues Cédric Château.
"This transatlantic race will be the culmination of our work, because after that, things will be different with a year of solo sailing."
See you at the end of the coffee route to find out the results of the 2025 Championship, currently led by... the Seafrigo-Sogestran team!
Guillaume L'Hostis, consistency rewarded
Guillaume L'Hostis, skipper of Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon, has had a remarkable season in Class40, finishing second in the European Trophy. The Fouesnant native was able to count on Antoine Le Manchec and Pierre Le Roy for support this year. Consistent and solid from the start of the season, he began with a fourth place in the Spi Ouest-France, a fifth place in the CIC Normandy Channel Race, and then another fifth place in the Les Sables-Horta.
"There is a really high level in Class40, with different boats and skippers from various backgrounds, of different ages and with varying track records, which makes it a very interesting class that is really coming into its own. The CIC Normandy Channel Race was very instructive because we had very solid conditions and a technical course, which allowed me to clear up a lot of doubts and really understand how the boat worked. Starting with a race like this makes things easier for the rest of the season, with the ultimate goal being the Transat Café L'Or."
Fabien Delahaye completes the podium
Legallais's skipper is not here just to make an appearance. Alongside Pierre Leboucher, he has made a strong start to the season, climbing onto the third step of the podium in the CIC Normandy Channel Race. The duo then followed up with another third place in the outward leg of the Les Sables-Horta, before Fabien won solo on the return leg to Les Sables-d'Olonne, confirming his consistency. Forced to withdraw before the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race, he is one of the most consistent sailors of 2025.
"The 2025 season is going very well so far for our Legallais project. We are delighted to add another podium finish in this 2025 European trophy to our project, following our third place in the NCR and our recent victory in Les Sables Horta. We must keep up the momentum in the Transat Café L'Or, which is our main objective for the 2025 season."
It is worth noting Djemila Tassin's impressive performance, who, in her first season in Class40, ranks first pointed boat in the Europe Trophy, in 17th place. The young sailor achieved a very respectable 11th place in the CIC Normandy Channel Race.