Armel Le Cléach, Charles Caudrelier, Thomas Coville, Anthony Marchand, and Tom Laperche—the biggest names in competitive sailing—gathered in Antibes to present this new Mediterranean odyssey. We’ll have to wait until next spring, from April 29 to May 10, 2026, to admire the most spectacular boats in ocean racing before the city walls.
These “ULTIMs”, these multihulls sailing (flying?) in the footsteps of Homer’s Odyssey, will compete in a race towards the unknown (or almost) in a surely breathless and epic sprint, which will take them to the shores of Greece, before returning to the city of Antibes and its marina, one of the largest in Europe, boasting 25 centuries of history.
Almost a first for these champions who admitted with the humility typical of champions, especially in the face of the elements, that they were unfamiliar with this playground. Indeed, and everyone agreed, “in order to shine, you will have to withstand what makes the Mediterranean so special, a particularly delicate universe for sailors. The wind variations are multiple and sudden, the sea state can be very tricky and you have to be extremely vigilant to make the most of it, without losing ground to your opponents. The Mediterranean is so unpredictable that it would have been difficult to compete in this race solo aboard these boats where each maneuver is very long and trying.”
After two days of “runs” (short timed courses) under the city walls, the start will take place on Sunday, May 3 in Antibes, the nerve center of this race. Then, the skippers will set sail for Olympia, a town twinned with Antibes. But the weather conditions will determine the course. ” We could have very strong winds or moments of calm,” recalls Francis Le Goff, the race director.
” Our only constraint is to reach Olympia, which is the DNA of the race .” Then, if the weather permits, ” we could consider going around Malta, heading to the Balearic Islands before returning to Antibes .” The sailors will be expected at the finish line on Friday, May 8 after a five-day sprint and more than 2,000 miles (3,704 km).
Aside from the actual competition, where you can admire the start and greet the winner at the finish in front of the city, the race will also be a meeting place for exchange, sharing, and conviviality. In the village, located at the gates of the ramparts of the historic city center of Antibes, for twelve days, numerous festivities, educational, and cultural initiatives will be on the program.
Fun workshops, concerts, meetings with local businesses, entertainment… The general public will have a front row seat to discover these outstanding sailors and their iconic boats: Banque Populaire, Sodebo, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Actual, and SVR-Lazartigue, 32-meter-long giants. A unique opportunity to come together and vibrate with the Mediterranean and Antibes in all its majesty.
This type of competition would not exist without the commitment of certain personalities such as successful companies and Patrick Gilliot, co-founder of CapMed and organizer of the Odyssée ULTIM, surrounded by Samuel Tual, president of the ULTIM class, president of Actual Group (a group specializing in temporary work based in Laval), Serge Amar, Vice-president of the South Region and deputy mayor of Antibes Juan-les-Pins, emphasizing that “The region has a 100% sustainable development budget for sport and events. We could not not support this event. He added: I had the chance to board an ULTIM during the Finistère Atlantique races last year and it was sumptuous. I am happy to know that our fellow citizens will experience such an event next year!”
For his part, Audouin Rambaud, deputy mayor of Antibes Juan-les-Pins and President of EPIC (Antibes Tourist and Convention Bureau) declared: “The City of Antibes Juan-les-Pins allows the alliance of the high technology of Sophia Antipolis and the Formula 1 of the sea that are the Ultims, thus creating a nautical revolution where innovation and performance meet on the waves.” The final word was for Simon Perrot, new general manager of the Nice-Matin group arriving in 2024, committing to covering the event extensively in the columns of the various editions of the regional daily.
We will not miss this meeting either.
