Normandy Channel Race

A legendary 1,000-mile race

Created in 2010, the CIC Normandy Channel Race has become one of the flagship races of the Class40 circuit, attracting the best ocean sailors each year. The race is held in double-handed (two sailors per boat) on 12-meter monohull sailboats, with a start given off Ouistreham and an arrival in the Bassin Saint-Pierre in Caen.

A demanding course

The Normandy Channel Race course covers approximately 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km) across the English Channel and the Celtic Sea. The crews pass by the Saint-Marcouf Islands off the Cotentin, cross to Tuskar Rock southeast of Ireland, round the legendary Fastnet Rock south of Ireland, and then return to Normandy via Guernsey and the formidable Raz-Blanchard, one of Europe's most powerful currents.

The greatest sailors in attendance

Over the years, the Normandy Channel Race has hosted legendary sailors: Michel Desjoyeaux (two-time Vendée Globe winner), Vincent Riou (2004-2005 Vendée Globe winner and two-time Transat Jacques Vabre winner), and many other offshore racing champions. In 2024, Fabien Delahaye and Benjamin Schwartz achieved the first victory for a Norman in this Channel classic.

A festive village on the quays of Caen

Throughout the event, a race village is set up on the quays of the Bassin Saint-Pierre in Caen, offering the public entertainment, exhibitions, meetings with skippers, and the opportunity to follow the race live. The start from the bay of Ouistreham is a spectacular moment for spectators gathered on the coast.