UpWind by MerConcept wraps up a strong first half of season, secures qualification for Route du Rhum
by UpWind by MerConcept 29 May 10:25 BST
Upwind by MerConcept - Ocean Fifty Series © Vincent Olivaud / Ocean Fifty Series
Following Acts 1 and 2 of the Ocean Fifty Series in Sainte-Maxime and Ajaccio, the UpWind by MerConcept project has completed an intense and promising first half of the season.
Racing against a fleet of cutting-edge trimarans, the team led by skipper Anne-Claire Le Berre confirmed its steady sporting progress while continuing its commitment to making offshore racing more inclusive.
This chapter concluded with a major milestone: Anne-Claire Le Berre officially secured her solo qualification for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. She will be the only woman competing in a trimaran class at the legendary transatlantic race starting from Saint-Malo this November.
Building momentum against a world-class fleet
Competing against an exceptionally strong fleet of next-generation trimarans, the all-female UpWind by MerConcept crew, with the support of founding partner 11th Hour Racing, demonstrated consistent progress throughout the Mediterranean circuit, finishing 7th in Sainte-Maxime and 6th in Ajaccio.
Anne-Claire Le Berre, skipper: "The raw results don't tell the full story. The quality of the work we achieved on board has been extremely satisfying. Against newer boats with significantly greater acceleration, we managed to get the absolute maximum out of our trimaran. Finishing sixth in Ajaccio ahead of a brand-new boat was a real achievement for us. It can be frustrating at times because we feel like we're doing everything right without truly competing on equal footing. Most importantly, I want to thank the entire team, who for the past two and a half months have put in an incredible amount of work to keep the momentum going and handle every technical challenge with remarkable energy."
Making offshore racing more open and inclusive
True to its mission of making offshore racing more accessible and inspiring, UpWind by MerConcept also led several social impact initiatives throughout the Mediterranean tour.
As part of a partnership with World Sailing, four Olympic athletes from Germany, Greece, and Guatemala were welcomed aboard following the 2026 French Olympic Week to discover the world of offshore racing. The experience included technical briefings, insights into race preparation, onboard sessions, and direct exchanges with sailors and team members.
Cristina Castellanos, an ILCA 6 sailor from Guatemala, said: "I have never sailed an offshore boat before. It was a great experience to go so fast and to be on an all-female team. I am thankful to have been chosen to be here today. This definitely gave me another perspective about sailing that it is not all about Olympic sSailing. There is more to sailing outside of Olympic sSailing so that is pretty cool. I come from a small country and there is not much sailing culture to be able to have these types of experiences."
In Sainte-Maxime and Ajaccio, young female sailors from local sailing clubs, along with instructors from Les Glénans in Bonifacio, were also invited aboard the trimaran to discuss the role of women in sport and career opportunities within sailing.
Louis Giard, team manager: "We designed these initiatives to build bridges between different areas of the sailing world. Welcoming these athletes and young sailors aboard is exactly what UpWind by MerConcept stands for: opening new perspectives, creating opportunities, and showing that offshore racing can become accessible to a new, more diverse generation of sailors."
Qualification secured for the Route du Rhum
The transition to solo sailing began during the delivery back to Brittany. Taking advantage of a favorable weather window departing from Portimão, Anne-Claire Le Berre successfully completed the mandatory 1,200-nautical-mile solo qualification course.
After three and a half days of demanding offshore sailing, she officially secured her place in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, which will start this November from Saint-Malo.
Anne-Claire Le Berre: "This solo passage was an important milestone. Naturally, there was some apprehension before setting off, but once at sea, the routines came back very quickly. This sail allowed me to rebuild confidence, get more comfortable handling the boat alone outside of a race environment, and validate the upgrades completed over the winter — especially the enclosed cockpit, which provides a real improvement in comfort. It was also an opportunity to establish a working method with my routing team, and particularly with Justine Mettraux, who will support Yann Eliès in helping me analyze weather strategy for the Route du Rhum. The next major focus will now be optimizing recovery and sleep management onboard ahead of the transatlantic crossing."
Back in Concarneau, the UpWind by MerConcept team is now continuing its technical and sporting preparation with one clear objective: to arrive fully ready in Saint-Malo for the start of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, where Anne-Claire Le Berre will stand as the only woman competing in a trimaran at one of offshore racing's most iconic solo events.