The Prizegiving ceremony of the DRHEAM-CUP 2026 took place on Saturday 18 July in Lorient – La Base, celebrating the success of the sixth edition which upheld its ethos of competition, sharing, and celebration. This year marked the first time Lorient served as the arrival port for the race, which has a rich history of hosting renowned sailors. The event also commemorated the tenth anniversary of the race and the 80th birthday of its founder, Jacques Civilise.
The record number of participants soared to 106 boats at the start on 11 July in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, with 86 completing the race. The ORMA, Arkéa-Handicap International, skippered by Damien Seguin and Gérald Véniard, achieved line honours on the DC 600 course, crossing the finish line on Tuesday 14 July at 05:24. Class40 Yoda, helmed by Yohan Bertrand, was the last to finish on Saturday at 05:14, after 6 days, 17 hours, and 44 minutes at sea.
This year’s race highlighted the diversity celebrated by Jacques Civilise. Anne-Claire Le Berre (Upwind by MerConcept) made history by finishing second in the Ocean Fifty class, becoming the first woman to achieve this result in a solo race within the class. The Women’s Trophy was awarded to Véronique Ansel, who skippered Groupe 5 with an all-female crew.
The Youth Trophy went to the youngest competitor, Titouan Pilliard (Use it Again for Youth), who placed second in the Vintage Mono class. Notably, there was a 55-year age gap between the youngest winner, Basile Bourgnon (aged 24), who triumphed in the Ocean Fifty class on Edenred, and Halvard Mabire, who, at 69, secured victory in the Vintage Multi class on GDD.
Foreign sailors also excelled: Swiss sailor Alan Roura clinched first in the IRC Crewed class aboard the Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze-Majorica, while Italian Giulio di Gennaro secured third in the IRC double-handed class with Figaro 2 Auremat. The British crew from DMS Vinyl, led by David Summers, finished second in the Multi 2000 class.
The event also paid homage to the history of offshore racing. Raphaël Dinelli, a survivor of the 1996 Vendée Globe, finished second in the Multi 2000 class on DMS Vinyl, after receiving an invitation from his rescuer, British sailor Pete Goss. Both Tanguy Caradec (Vintage Mono on Eurvad) and Basile Bourgnon continued their fathers’ legacies in the race.
Legendary boats left their mark as well, including Loïck Peyron’s former Fujicolor II, sailed by Damien Seguin, and the Mythical Cigare Rouge, skippered by Sidney Gavignet, which won in IRC 1. Charlie Capelle, a stalwart of the DRHEAM-CUP, finished fourth in the Multi 2000 category and will be competing in his eighth Route du Rhum this November.
Talent was a focal point at the prizegiving ceremony, with Corentin Douguet (SNSM, Faites un don!) winning in Class40 after a dramatic four-and-a-half-day battle. The Alban Mesnil/Jérôme Aubert duo triumphed in real and compensated time in IRC Double-handed aboard the JPK 1010 Abracadabra soutient Don Bosco, while Laurent Charmy repeated his success from two years ago, winning overall in IRC Crewed on his JPK 10.80 SL Energies V1D2.
In closing, Jacques Civilise expressed gratitude to all participants for their contributions to a week of competition, sharing, and celebration, embodying the core values of the event. The next edition is anticipated in 2028.
The winners of the DRHEAM-CUP/GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE DE COURSE AU LARGE 2026:
Line Honours DC 600: Arkéa-Handicap International (Damien Seguin)
Line Honours DC 1000: April Marine-Tahiti Déménage Tout (Arnaud Boissières)
Winner Ocean Fifty: Edenred (Basile Bourgnon)
Winner Imoca: April Marine-Tahiti Déménage Tout (Arnaud Boissières)
Winner Class 40: SNSM, Faites un don! (Corentin Douguet)
Winner Multi 2000: Minor Swing (Didier Bouillard)
Winner IRC Overall: SL Energies V1D2 (Laurent Charmy)
Winner IRC 0: Le Cigare Rouge (Sidney Gavignet)
Winner IRC 1: Maxitude (Xavier Bellouard)
Winner IRC 2: SL Energies V1D2 (Laurent Charmy)
Winner IRC double-handed: Abracadabra soutient Don Bosco (Alban Mesnil/Jérôme Aubert)
Winner Sun Fast 30 OD: Numerobis (Jean Passini)
Winner Vintage Multi: GDD (Halvard Mabire)
Winner Vintage Mono: Eurvad (Tanguy Caradec)
Youth Trophy: Titouan Pilliard (Use it Again for Youth)
Women’s Trophy: Véronique Ansel (Groupe 5)
ALL RESULTS : HERE
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