Launched in 2025, the CIC MED CHANNEL RACE aims to foster an offshore racing culture in the Mediterranean similar to established events in the English Channel and Atlantic. As the premier Class40 event in the region, the race has, in its first two editions, featured a magnificent 1,000-nautical-mile course from Marseille along the Var coast, around Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands, before returning to Marseille. Ian Lipinski and Alberto Bona were the inaugural winners in 2025 aboard CREDIT MUTUEL, followed by Mathieu Claveau and François Verdier in 2026 with the PHARE40 project. The 2027 event is expanding to welcome a new class: the Sun Fast 30 OD (One Design). This 30-foot offshore racing boat is currently being used in Marseille for the Offshore World Championship, featuring 19 mixed-doubles teams representing 14 nationalities. The CIC MED RACE 2027 will adopt this same mixed-doubles format for the class, running alongside the Class40 fleet.
With 49 boats set to start the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe on November 1st, the Class40 fleet will be the largest in the event, highlighting its central role in offshore racing both in France and internationally. The Mediterranean Circuit comprises several events, with the CIC MED RACE serving as its representative in the National Championship. The Class40 enables both knowledgeable amateurs and professionals to compete in major transatlantic races—such as the Route du Rhum and the Transat Café l’Or—and to experience the achievement of racing around the world (GLOBE40). In 2027, a course covering nearly 916 nautical miles (direct route) over the span of a week will once again be offered to Class40s, starting in Marseille, running along the Var coast to Calvi, passing through the Strait of Bonifacio, and along the east coast of Sardinia, rounding Menorca in the Balearics before crossing the finish line in the southern roadstead of Marseille.
The Sun Fast 30 OD originated from a project by three major international clubs—the UNCL, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, and the Storm Trysail Club. Their primary objectives were to encourage offshore racing, make sailing more accessible, and train the next generation. The renowned offshore racing design firm VPLP Design, in partnership with the Multiplast shipyard, won the design competition. The Jeanneau shipyard also joined the project. This 10.40-meter sailboat quickly gained acclaim, being named “Sailboat of the Year” in 2024 by Voile Magazine. It is a one-design class—meaning all boats are strictly identical—whereas the Class40 follows a “box rule” format, allowing for architectural and construction freedom. One-design racing ensures perfect parity between boats, while the “box rule” fosters creativity and innovation while keeping performance levels relatively close. The course for the SF30 ODs (720 nautical miles) will be shorter than that of the Class40s, with a direct route from the Strait of Bonifacio to Menorca.
Increasing female participation in offshore racing is a major priority, as women skippers currently account for only 10–15% of starting lineups in major events. The CIC MED RACE aims to support this movement by featuring mixed-gender double-handed crews for its new racing class. Local stakeholders, including Cap Regatta, managing a fleet of 11 SF30 ODs in Marseille, and the CNTL club, have been involved in the race’s sporting organization since 2025. The CIC MED RACE intends to help establish Marseille as the Mediterranean hub for offshore racing.
The event is currently scheduled to start on Sunday, March 21, 2027, on the Class40 calendar. There is potential alignment with the recently announced “Marea” boat show in Marseille, which may shift the start date to Sunday, April 11, 2027. Further details will follow.
Website: www.med-race.com
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