Mach 6.5 / Open 7.50 at Spi Ouest-France - Day 1

Spi Ouest-France 2026 Day 1 © Camille Audic

The regatta began this Friday in challenging conditions. Overcast skies, passing showers, and a steady breeze of 17 to 23 knots: the Spi Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest regatta didn't hold back in hosting its first races.

The eleven Open 7.50s and eight Mach 6.5s competed in four races with a packed schedule—general recalls, long planing legs, and close upwind duels—and it was with heavy legs and smiles on their faces that the crews returned to the dock in the late afternoon.

Open 7.50: Banque Populaire in the Lead, the Battle Is Already On

In the Open 7.50 fleet, the Banque Populaire team set the tone right from the start. Loïs Berrehar, Quentin Ponroy, Basile Bourgnon, Tugdual Guillemot, and Paul Philibert had a solid first day and took the lead in the provisional overall standings, just one point ahead of their pursuers. This narrow margin promises fierce competition starting tomorrow. Hot on their heels, the Altair crew is lying in wait in second place. Thomas Normand, the new owner, along with a top-notch crew of Antoine Joubert, Louis Viat, Julien Villion, and Antoine Caraz, demonstrated impressive consistency throughout the day and won't easily relinquish their position.

Third overall, the All Purpose boat, skippered by Frédéric Moreau and accompanied by Matthieu Souben, Guillaume Trotte, Jean-Baptiste Gellée, and Fred Duthil, is also confirming its ambitions in this particularly competitive fleet. Further down the rankings, the presence of some well-known names in the sportboat scene is noteworthy. Frédéric Le Peutrec, aboard Trého, is currently in a respectable sixth place, ahead of the crew of Ossian, skippered by Benjamin Owens from Atlanta, with an American crew and renowned helmsman Luke Lawrence, multiple world champion.

The very popular Open Bar—Edouard Alikiagalelei, Renan Letourneur, Laurent Mermod, Lucas Domage, and Julien Bourgeois—will have to accept an eighth-place finish, below their ambitions and potential. The crews of Cadet Springer (Christian Maby) and Flying Doctor (Hugo Lauras) complete the rankings for this first day.

Mach 6.5: Dimension Polyant Aims for a Triple Win

In the Mach 6.5 class, the two-time defending champion is making its intentions clear from the start. Dimension Polyant, led by Mathieu Bourdais, Ewen Leclech, Logan Vergy, and Theau Guilcher — winner in 2024 and 2025 — has taken the lead in the fleet on this first day. The crew makes no secret of its ambition to achieve a triple win, and its performance today already gives it a strong case.

It is currently ahead of Alternative Sailing — Mathieu Jones, Guillaume Colas, Johan Hellot, and Cédric Fleury — which is its main rival. Alternative Sailing is neck and neck with L'Ankou (Yann Sassy, ??Hugo Feydit, Eric Dumont, and Nicolas Troussel), with both crews finishing the day with the same number of points.

The battle for second place promises to be particularly exciting in the coming days. In fourth place provisionally, we find West Paysages and its leading duo, Manu Guedon and Eric Flageul, reinforced this year by Axel Nicoleau and Etann Seguin. Bertrand Uhrig on Tarmac'h, Jérôme Aubert on Dimension Polyant II, and Francis Perrin (Machiavellique) bring up the rear.

And tomorrow? The weather forecast predicts a change of scenery for the second day: the return of sunshine, southerly winds between 15 and 20 knots, and choppy conditions. More favorable conditions, certainly, but they promise equally competitive racing. The hierarchy is far from settled—the gaps remain tight in both fleets—and every leg will count.

Full results can be found here.