The French challenger La Roche-Posay Racing Team have become the third team to put their modified AC75 back in the water during the 38th America’s Cup cycle. The re-launch took place in Lorient, France yesterday, when the newly rebranded azure-and-white-liveried boat underwent a successful tow testing session.
The French follow Cup-holders Emirates Team New Zealand and the Italian Luna Rossa syndicate, who have both been clocking up the training and testing hours over recent months at their bases in Auckland and Cagliari, respectively.
Being third to re-launch is in significant contrast to the French team’s campaign in the previous cycle, when they were a super late entry after experiencing severe funding setbacks. There appear to be no such concerns this time around with the squad becoming the first ever French challenger to compete in two consecutive campaigns.
Under the rules of the 38th America’s Cup teams which competed in AC37 are required to use the same boat, rather than build a new one. AC38 also sees cyclors replaced with batteries and the overall crew numbers reduced from eight to five sailors.
All of that means the French boat – which was built to a design purchased from Emirates Team New Zealand for AC37 – has had to undergo a major re-design of its deck layout to include six pods (for the five crew and one guest spot). Meanwhile, below decks, the complex mecatronics controlling the onboard systems that enable the boat to fly above the water at speeds over 50 knots have all needed to be re-thought.
“Going from eight to five crew members changes everything: ergonomics, communications, the division of tasks and the control systems,” commented technical director Antoine Carraz. “With fewer people on board, every action must be simpler, more direct and perfectly coordinated. We have worked to ensure the boat remains extremely high-performance without becoming more complicated for the crew to operate.
The International Dragon 2026 European Championship in Helsinki on Monday, got underway with a day that delivered everything sailing fans could ask for: postcard-perfect conditions, bold tactical calls, and a tightly fought battle for the lead.
Race officials delayed the morning's first warning signal by an hour after consulting local sailors, waiting for the forecast southwesterly sea breeze to fill in properly. The patience paid off — by early afternoon the wind had settled into a steady 10 to 11 knots, conditions competitors described as nothing short of champagne sailing.
Britain's Graham Bailey and his crew aboard GBR192 Bluebottle took the win in the opening race, rounding the first windward mark in the lead after a bold call to play the left side of the course — a decision that paid dividends as the breeze continued to favor that side throughout the day.
Bailey's team then resisted the temptation to sail high downwind like much of the fleet, instead switching to a faster, lower mode at the right moment to stretch out their advantage. Denmark's DEN428 Deja Vu 2.0 took second, with Portugal's POR90 EASY rounding out the podium in third.
The best of the Finnish contingent was FIN101 Joyride, helmed by Carolus Reincke, who put together a spectacular opening leg before a mark mishap cost him valuable places.
"A good start is really important, and Helsinki showed its best side today," Reincke said afterwards, reflecting on a day where calculated, consistent sailing was rewarded — though he admitted his own approach had perhaps been a touch too cautious.
British skipper Andy Beadsworth aboard TUR12 Provezza Dragon fought back from a rocky start to finish the day fifth overall, and offered a veteran's perspective on what it takes to navigate a long regatta.
"The first day is always tricky — it sets the tone. You don't win the regatta on day one, but you can certainly lose it," Beadsworth said. "We had a really good start, better than we expected, and the breeze went left, which suited the boats on that tack. Twelfth at the top mark was a happy place to be, and we fought back to fifth overall — a pleasing outcome.
"But it's all well and good until tomorrow. If you have a bad day, you get up, you tip it behind you, and you go out and do the same things again — you can't change the past, you can only look ahead. And if you have a good day, you don't need to change anything either — just go out and do what you do, at 110 percent.
"It's much harder to claw your way back from the bottom of the fleet than it is to hold position near the top, so the goal every day is simple: don't give anything away."
With the breeze expected to hold and the fleet now sharpening their focus on today's racing, organisers say the championship is shaping up to be a high-scoring affair where every point will count.
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The Sail Racing ORC A class will once again be one of the highlights of the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre, featuring a world-class fleet led by the reigning ORC World Champion and the reigning European Champion.
The 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre will bring together the two standout international performers of the season in the Sail Racing ORC A class: the reigning ORC World Champion and the reigning European Champion. It is a rare head-to-head that promises to make this one of the regatta’s most compelling classes.
The DK46 Estrella Damm, owned by Nacho Montes, will defend the title it claimed in Palma last year while chasing a remarkable fifth Copa del Rey Mapfre victory. Standing in its way is Sweden’s Carkeek 41 Rán, owned by Niklas Zennström and the reigning ORC World Champion, aiming to add one of sailing’s most prestigious trophies to its impressive record.
For Manu Fraga, General Manager of Real Club Náutico de Palma, this match-up perfectly illustrates the exceptional level of competition expected in the class: “Having the reigning World Champion and the reigning European Champion competing against each other makes Sail Racing ORC A one of the strongest classes at the 44th Copa del Rey Mapfre. It’s a rare duel, and Palma is the perfect stage for it.”
The battle for victory, however, extends well beyond these two leading contenders. Sail Racing ORC A will once again feature one of the most competitive fleets of the regatta, with several teams capable of claiming the title. Among them is Estonia’s Nola, owned by Margus Uudam, which dominated the recent Sandberg PalmaVela; the Swan 42 Elena Nova, owned by Christian Plump, a two-time Copa del Rey Mapfre winner (2023 and 2024); and the DK46 HM Hospitales-Hydra, owned by Óscar Chaves, with Olympic champion Fernando León calling tactics and José Ponce at the helm.
The list of podium contenders also includes several top teams arriving in Palma on the back of strong performances at the ORC World Championship. Sweden’s GP42 Garm, owned by Per Roman, and Argentina’s Swan 45 From Now On, owned by Fernando Chain, finished sixth and seventh respectively at the Worlds. They will be joined by another Spanish contender, the DK46 Bazán, representing Real Club Marítimo de Sotogrande and campaigned by Marcelino Oreja and Cote Armenteros, with Ricardo Zabell helming.
Nacho Montes, owner of the Estrella Damm Sailing Team, is approaching his title defence with confidence, while fully aware of the strength of the competition: “The Copa del Rey Mapfre is the highlight of our season. We have prepared our campaign by competing at the Conde de Godó Trophy, where we took the overall win, and this weekend we’ll race at the SM La Reina Trophy. These are two key events that allow us to arrive in Palma in the best possible shape, full of motivation and determined to defend our title. We know it won’t be easy because the level of the fleet is once again exceptional, but we approach the challenge with maximum ambition. For us, the Copa del Rey Mapfre has always been the most special regatta on the calendar.”
Sunshine, fresh winds and hundreds of spectators combined to deliver a spectacular opening day of the 2026 GKSS Match Cup Sweden, as eighteen of the world's best match racing teams launched their campaigns on the iconic waters off Marstrand.
Ten Open teams and eight all-female crews took to the famous Marstrand fjord in perfect Scandinavian summer conditions to begin the battle for the prestigious GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy titles.
Home favourite Johnie Berntsson (SWE) made the perfect start to his regatta, claiming three victories from three matches to top the Open leaderboard after day one.
In the Women's competition, Pauline Courtois (FRA) and Anna Östling (SWE) each posted three wins from four races, while fellow Swede Martina Carlsson impressed by remaining unbeaten with two wins from two starts.
Now celebrating its 32nd edition, the GKSS Match Cup Sweden remains one of the world's premier match racing events. Organised annually by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS), the event has been a cornerstone of the World Match Racing Tour since 2000 and continues to attract thousands of sailing fans to the picturesque island of Marstrand.
Leading the Open fleet after the opening day, Berntsson delivered a composed and clinical performance, winning all three of his matches to delight the home crowd.
Among the pre-event favourites is defending 2024 champion Chris Poole (USA) and his Riptide Racing team, featuring Luke Payne, Mal Parker and 2009 World Match Racing Champion Adam Minoprio. Despite recording just one victory from three races on the opening day, Poole remains firmly in contention as the qualifying round robin continues.
Defending 2025 Match Cup Sweden champion Jeppe Borch (DEN) begins his title defence tomorrow.
"It is great to be back here in Marstrand," said Borch. "We love racing here and while it looks like we may have some windy conditions this week, we are looking forward to the challenge of defending our title."
Australia's Cole Tapper (Kairos Racing) and France's Ange Delerce, making his debut appearance at the GKSS Match Cup Sweden, also enjoyed encouraging starts with two wins each from three matches.
The battle for the 2026 Nordea Women's Trophy also got under way with eight elite international crews representing Europe and North America.
France's Pauline Courtois and Sweden's Anna Östling quickly established themselves among the frontrunners with three victories each, but it was Sweden's Martina Carlsson and Beyond Racing who produced one of the standout performances of the day, remaining undefeated after two races.
"Marstrand is a very special place for us," said Carlsson. "There is always such a huge crowd and so many Swedish flags, which really encourages us. We enjoy sailing in stronger breeze and, after finishing fourth last year, we're definitely aiming for the podium this week."
Making their Nordea Women's Trophy debuts are two American teams — Lindsey Baab's Fog Racing from San Francisco and Caroline Bayless' Team Something Chill from Annapolis.
After only one light-air practice session yesterday, both crews faced the challenge of stronger winds and their first experience racing the FarEast 28 keelboats.
"Today was challenging because we're still learning the FarEast 28 and sailing with asymmetric spinnakers," said Fog Racing crew member Kate Shiber. "Every race taught us something, especially about our timing and teamwork. It's an incredible venue and we're thrilled to have been invited."
