Yacht and Water Sports Industry Crazy Lobster: from Custom-Made Composite Parts to Low-Carbon Shipbuilding November 9 2026November 12 2026 Based in the port of Saint-Brieuc, Crazy Lobster manufactures high-end composite parts for shipyards and ocean racing. Combining applied R&D, strong roots in Brittany, and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the company is preparing to open a second facility to take its operations to the next level. We speak… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry A Look Back at the “Youth and Ocean Sailing” Conference November 5 2026November 12 2026 Bretagne Sailing Valley took over the Bourse ferry terminal in the “Cité Corsaire,” on the sidelines of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, for a morning dedicated to the younger generation and the appeal of careers in competitive sailing. Kicked off by Anne GALLO-KERLEAU (Vice President of the Brittany… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry Route du Rhum : The Vintage Class brings legendary boats back to life October 8 2026November 12 2026 118 solo sailors will set sail from Saint-Malo on November 1 for the 2026 edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Among them, 27 will compete in the Vintage Multi and Vintage Mono categories. Created with the aim of reducing the event’s carbon footprint, these categories encourage sailors to bring… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry Behind the scenes of the design of Gitana 18 October 2 2026November 12 2026 During the technical conferences at the Défi Azimut 2026, Sébastien Sainson, head of the Gitana team’s design office, looked back at the design of Gitana 18. The decision to start from scratch, the collaboration between the defending champions of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe and the architectural firm… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry Pierre Tissier : “Route du Rhum 2026 : keeping a cool head above all” October 2 2026November 12 2026 With just over a month to go before the start of the 2026 Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, Gitana 18 is preparing for its first major offshore challenge. Technical Director of Gitana Team, Pierre Tissier looks back at the pre-race refit currently underway on the foiler’s appendages, his close relationship with… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry Innovation in ocean racing: five organisations, one shared ambition September 25 2026September 25 2026 Pierre-Yves Mechin, Head of R&D at Southern Spars; Julien Pilate, Head of the Design Office at North Sails France; Hervé Penfornis, Naval Engineer at Guillaume Verdier Architecture Navale (GVAN); Pierre-François Dargnies, Technical Director of the Malizia team; and Nicolas Andrieu, Technical Director of the BeYou Racing team, shared their vision… Continue Reading
Wind Ship Propulsion L’Atelier sur Mer : “Sail painting is a hands-on, physical craft with a geniune artistic dimension” July 7 2026July 21 2026 From offshore racing to wind-powered commercial shipping, L’Atelier sur Mer has established itself as one of the leading specialists in sail painting and hull branding. Recently acquired by Stickerman, the Morbihan-based company is entering a new phase of growth. We spoke with Operations Director Isabelle Saulnier and Associate Director Alexandre Le Gallais about the technical, human… Continue Reading
Wind Ship Propulsion Wind propulsion bill : symbolic gesture or real accelerator ? July 6 2026July 7 2026 France’s proposed Wind Propulsion Bill was passed by the National Assembly on 12 May. By doing so, Members of Parliament formally recognised the key role of wind in decarbonising maritime transport while introducing new measures to support the development of a still-emerging industry. Although the bill must still complete the remainder of the legislative… Continue Reading
Yacht Racing Industry Thomas Ruyan’s new IMOCA foiler: a technological and human revolution June 19 2026June 19 2026 This Thursday, 19 June 2026, in Lorient, the curtain rose on the latest addition to the IMOCA foiling fleet: Thomas Ruyant’s new boat, the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the finest experts in offshore racing. Around the drawing board were Antoine Koch and his naval architecture firm, AKO, the TR Racing design office, GSea Design and Finot-Conq (for structural and hydrodynamic calculations), as well as CDK Technologies, the builder. This synergy was further strengthened by a pooling of resources with the teams of Boris Herrmann (Malizia) and Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire), who are currently constructing the same design. Continue Reading
Yacht and Water Sports Industry Maritime Stakeholders from Lorient and Concarneau open their doors to New Zealand June 17 2026June 17 2026 On April 15, 2026, a delegation of companies from New Zealand set sail for a tour in Lorient and Concarneau, organised at the initiative of the Bretagne Sailing Valley programme and NZTE, the New Zealand government agency for international trade and enterprise. Accompanied by Joanna Kempkers, New Zealand Ambassador to… Continue Reading