GLOBE40 2025/2026 – PRESS RELEASE No. 36 – April 25, 2026
FINAL ACT OF THE GLOBE40 2025/2026
The arrival in Lorient of the British competitor JANGADA RACING last Tuesday morning marked the final sporting event of this sixth leg and, consequently, of the second edition of the GLOBE40. Seeing all the competitors back together on the same pontoon at Lorient La Base eight months later is obviously a source of great satisfaction for all the competitors and for the organizers. The quality of the teams, the quality of the technical preparation and support during the legs, the unwavering commitment of the organizing team at all times, and, to remain modest, undoubtedly a good deal of luck or a lucky star, have made this result possible.
This second edition has allowed us to cross many new frontiers in the development of this grand ambition: a round-the-world race in stages, sailed double-handed, and resolutely international. The circumnavigation has been validated for the latest generation Class40s (“scow”), the 24-hour world speed record for Class40s has been broken twice at 459 miles, and even, upon review of the final leg, a new 24-hour speed record for a classic Class40 (“pointu”) at 402 miles for the Réunion-based crew FREE DOM. And how can we not emphasize the intensity of the competition: only 2 points separated the top two overall, decided in the final leg; a tie in points between 2nd and 3rd in the pointu category (FREE DOM – WILSON); and just 0.5 points separated WHISKEY JACK and JANGADA RACING.
In Lorient this Saturday, April 25th, the final act of this great sporting and human adventure unfolded on land. At the end of the day, a meeting with the skippers and a screening of several stage films were held in the auditorium of the Cité de la Voile (Sailing City); a moment of sharing and emotion. Then came the awards ceremony and the grand evening celebration, which brought together nearly 200 people for this final event and this last moment spent together. It’s difficult to convey the feelings of this entire community—one could call it a family—who lived this unique adventure together for these eight months.
Driven by this renewed momentum, the GLOBE40 will continue its journey with a third edition in autumn 2028 / spring 2029, which was officially announced during the live event organized by Voiles et Voiliers magazine in Lorient the day after the first crews’ successful arrival. The results will be published in the coming weeks, including an exceptional media report with over 2,000 articles and nearly 20 million views on social media, representing an average tripling of the audience compared to the first edition. This figure only reflects the communication managed by the organizers, as competitors achieved at least the same number through their own communications.
Several competitors from the second edition are considering participating in the third and announced their intentions during the event. Nearly ten projects are already underway, even though no race documents have yet been published. These will be released next month with the publication of a preliminary notice of race.
Congratulations to the overall winner, CREDIT MUTUEL, driven by Ian Lipinski, and to their worthy runner-up, BELGIUM OCEAN RACING – CURIUM, driven by Jonas Gerckens! Thank you to all the skippers for the show they put on and to everyone who contributed – the organizing team, the host cities, the partners, and the media – to this new success!