The inaugural Course des Caps – Banque Populaire du Nord continues to deliver an enthralling mix of strategy, coastal navigation, and shifting fortunes as the eleven-boat IMOCA fleet works its way clockwise around the British Isles. After a tense and tactical start in light airs and fog off Boulogne-sur-Mer, the race has now entered its second major phase, with the frontrunners pushing towards Fastnet Rock via the Scilly Isles — and the leaderboard beginning to take shape.
Three days in, we’re seeing a pattern emerge: tight racing, tactical complexity, and an unusually democratic fleet. The front pack remains incredibly compressed, with fewer than 35 miles separating first from last. But one name has now edged ahead: Sam Goodchild’s MACIF Santé Prévoyance currently leads the charge with a slender 1.9-mile advantage over Holcim – PRB, skippered by Nicolas Lunven and Anne Beaugé. In third place sits the ever-consistent Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner, while VULNERABLE — skippered by local favourite Thomas Ruyant and Italian offshore ace Ambrogio Beccaria — rounds out the top four.
Sam Goodchild: from the anchorage to the atlantic frontline
Ruyant’s team has also claimed their second victory in the race’s intermediate sprints, winning the MOWI Trophy, the second of seven stages. It’s a symbolic moment for the skipper from Hauts-de-France, who has been instrumental in reviving this “spiritual successor” to the Calais Round Britain Race.
A tactical race that rewards finesse
The past 24 hours have seen the fleet navigating through a transition zone between two weather systems, resulting in a brief but nerve-testing stall in progress just before Start Point. This barometric pass — stretching between Start Point and Lizard — briefly dropped the breeze to nearly nothing, and crews were forced to work hard to keep their boats moving.
Pascal Bidegorry (Petits Princes – Quéguiner) noted the importance of managing the current in these tricky conditions: “We zigzagged along the coast, adjusting constantly to the wind shifts and current reversals. It was all about staying alert and nimble.”
Once through the transition, the breeze filled from the north-northwest at 10–14 knots, enabling the fleet to sail close-hauled towards the Scilly Isles. They are now rounding the archipelago from the south and setting up for a tight, tactical approach to Fastnet Rock — a leg that may prove decisive in establishing more meaningful gaps between boats.
Tom Dolan, now sailing with Charal, anticipates wind acceleration zones in the passage to Fastnet: “It’s going to be a bit of a Figaro-style contest — short tacks, tight angles, and small gains. Every manoeuvre counts.”
Daggerboards still in the hunt
It’s not just the foilers making headlines. Among the more conventional boats, Szabolcs Weöres’s New Europe — one of the few IMOCAs in the fleet with straight daggerboards — continues to sail impressively, staying in touch with the front group. Hungarian skipper Weöres, racing in his first major IMOCA crewed event, remains focused: “Reacting quickly and keeping the boat moving is the key. We’re not losing ground yet, and upwind legs like this help us stay competitive.”
His comments reflect a sentiment echoed by many in the fleet: while technology counts, it’s seamanship and strategic nous that are making the difference in this unique offshore test.
First retirement: Amedeo withdraws
Not all the news is upbeat. On Tuesday evening, Fabrice Amedeo announced his withdrawal from the race aboard FDJ United – Wewise. Despite a strong early showing — including holding pace with the lead pack through the Channel — Amedeo made the decision to retire after delays caused by light winds jeopardised his ability to meet prior project commitments.
“The first three days of slow sailing made it impossible to meet the planned timeline,” Amedeo explained. “This year is a transition for me — a building year toward the Vendée Globe 2028 — and I’ve made promises I can’t compromise.”
His departure reduces the fleet to ten, and serves as a reminder that even in a race designed to be shorter and coastal, the ocean remains unpredictable.
What comes next?
The fleet is expected to round Fastnet early Wednesday morning before beginning the long climb north toward the Shetland Islands — a leg that introduces new strategic complications. Depending on the wind strength and routing decisions, we could begin to see meaningful separation between the boats.
Although earlier forecasts predicted an 8-day race, the fleet’s progress — aided by improved breeze and fewer compression zones than feared — now makes a Saturday night or Sunday morning finish look more likely for the leaders.
Yet, nothing is certain. As Szabolcs Weöres aptly put it: “Not knowing what the next challenge will be is precisely the greatest challenge.”
With five more trophies still to be won, major navigational choices ahead, and tightly matched boats still trading blows off the Irish coast, La Course des Caps is shaping up as a landmark event in the IMOCA calendar — a thrilling blend of tradition, renewal, and competitive grit.
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