Thomas Andre and Colombe Julia (FRA01) have triumphed at the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship, winning the final race after a nail-biting battle that went right down to the wire.
The closing hours of the 190NM final race on Friday 2 October were sailed in light, fickle winds, with the lead changing hands between four boats. But it was FRA01 who found the best route through the final patches of breeze, crossing the finish line at 12:20:26, just over two days after setting off.
Annie Stevenson and Peter Winter (AUS01), who had led on the final morning, finished second, with Jonas Gerckens and Djemila Tassin (BEL01) completing the podium.
Andre and Julia are both currently Figaro sailors, but previously raced together in the 470 class. It was that experience as a team, and their ability to switch seamlessly between helm and crew roles, that they drew on during a punishing race featuring everything from strong winds and big seas to near-flat calm.
“It was so intense,” said Andre. “Every time there was always something happening. Upwind we were tacking every 10–15 minutes. We managed to take every lift from every headland. Then when it went light, Australia squeezed past us. They were fast.
“We thought that there would be no wind by the mountains, but there was wind and for Australia it was a shorter distance. Once we were back together, we knew we could match them.”
The course was a gruelling 190NM, beginning with a 90NM beat in 20-knot winds and one-to-two-metre seas. The turning mark was off Cannes, where the breeze subsided dramatically for the run back to Marseille.
The final race started at 11:30 on Wednesday 30 September, in 15 knots of south-easterly breeze. Christine Walta and Simeon Tienpont (NED01) were first across the line, while Federico Waksman and Irina Gracheva (URU01) made an excellent start and were first to the offset mark, 1.2NM to windward, followed by NED01 and FRA01.
The first obstacle was the headland of Île Maïre, where gusts accelerated through the gap between the island and the mainland, knocking the boats hard over. URU01 still led, with FRA01 moving into second ahead of NED01. As the fleet left the shelter of the bay, the sea state increased dramatically and, with 20-knot winds and waves crashing over the decks, they set off on the long beat to Cannes.
By late afternoon FRA01 had taken the lead, with URU01 second, and the order remained largely unchanged overnight and through most of the following day. BEL01 made the biggest gains on the beat, climbing from 10th at Île Maïre to third at Cannes, while AUS01 moved into fourth.
For much of the 90NM run home, the positions remained stable, with FRA01 leading and URU01 and BEL01 close behind, swapping second and third. The breakthrough for AUS01 came on the final morning, when they stayed closer to shore, found stronger breeze and moved into the lead.
On the final leg from Planier Lighthouse, any of the leading four boats — FRA01, BEL01, URU01 and AUS01 — could still have won. FRA01 committed to the right-hand side, heading towards the mainland shore and finding more breeze beneath the cliffs to retake the lead and cross the line first.
AUS01 finished second. Third place came down to a photo finish, with BEL01 edging URU01 by just eight seconds at the line. A time penalty for URU01 subsequently allowed NED01, only 52 seconds behind, to move into fourth place.
Back on the dock, there were smiles all round as the winning teams popped open the champagne and crews peeled off their salt-encrusted layers.
The prizes were presented by Corinne Migraine, Vice-President of World Sailing; Patrice Simon-Letertre, President of the Yacht Club de France; and Frank Recoing, President of CNTL.
Among the competitors, attention was already turning to the next edition of the championship, which will take place in mid-October 2027 in Cannes, France.