Leopard 3 (Monaco flagged) delivered a flawless performance to take line honours and IRC Overall in the 2025 Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race. The maxi yacht started strongly and held the lead throughout the 159-nautical-mile course, finishing at 23:45 yesterday BST (11 July, 10:45am 12 July NZT.)
She completed the race in 12 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 seconds, with an average VMG of 12.4 knots and a 24-hour distance made good of 150 NM. The boat’s crew kept a relentless pace, navigating tidal gates and light patches with precision.
The race, run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), began from Cowes on the Isle of Wight and finished in St Malo, France. Conditions ranged from steady breeze near the start to lighter patches approaching the Brittany coast.
Leopard’s performance put her hours ahead of the rest of the fleet and set the tone for what’s become a tactical race for corrected time honours.
RORC Cowes Offshore Racing Series: Spotlight on the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race
Tactical battles continue behind Leopard 3
Behind Leopard 3, the monohull fleet is tightly bunched. Teasing Machine (France) is well positioned in second on corrected time. With 66 NM to sail at 00:30 on 12 July, her projected finish is around 10:40 BST, putting her on track for a corrected elapsed time of 23 hours and 5 minutes.
Close behind is Rafale (Germany), also maintaining solid pace. She’s currently estimated to finish around 11:09 BST with a similar corrected time. Both boats are pushing hard to convert their performance into a podium result.
Ino Noir (UK) is still in the fight, while Beau Ideal (Hong Kong), Long Courrier (France), and Django JPK (Italy) round out the mid-fleet. Slower VMGs and softer breeze near the French coast are testing patience. Boats are relying on smart sail changes and active trimming to stay competitive.
In the multihull division, UNO (UK) leads confidently with just 87 NM to go. Her projected finish time is late afternoon on 12 July. Minor Swing and Perros-Guirec are still pressing, but slipping behind in the lightening breeze. Dogzhouse, meanwhile, has dropped far off the pace.
A major retirement has also been confirmed — Beau Geste (Hong Kong) withdrew from the race. The team was not recorded in recent tracker updates and has officially retired, dealing a blow to fans on both sides of the Tasman.
The final fleet positions will become clearer over the next 24 hours. With slower speeds and changing breeze, the battle for corrected honours is far from over. Still, there’s no debate at the top: Leopard 3 wins the 2025 Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race with authority.
