On Sunday (29 June 2025), a new name joined the ranks of iconic offshore races. La Course des Caps – Banque Populaire du Nord is the latest addition to the IMOCA calendar — a 2,000-nautical mile, crewed circumnavigation of the British Isles, starting and finishing in the French port town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Eleven boats, 44 sailors, four seas, seven trophies, and a route that traces some of the most treacherous and storied waters in northern Europe.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s intentional. The race is a spiritual successor to the Calais Round Britain Race, last held in 2007. The idea of a British Isles loop has long held allure for offshore sailors. But until now, logistical and financial hurdles have prevented its revival — until a determined group in France’s northern Pas-de-Calais region brought it back to life.
The course
The race course is brutal in its simplicity: a full lap of the British Isles, clockwise. Departing Boulogne, the fleet passed Dover — its white cliffs towering silently above the English Channel — then headed north along the east coast of England. The route snakes around the Farne Islands, past Cape Wrath at Scotland’s rugged northern tip, then down the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland, taking in remote and wild landmarks like Slyne Head, Fastnet Rock, and Bishop Rock.
The sailors will race through four distinct seas — the North Sea, the Atlantic, the Celtic Sea, and the English Channel — contending with everything from narrow tidal channels to high-traffic shipping lanes. They’ll pass more than 6,000 islands, and must stay constantly alert to changing weather, tide-driven currents, and congested maritime corridors.
It’s a course as scenic as it is complex. From wind farms and oil rigs in the North Sea to towering sea stacks off western Ireland, it’s an offshore sailor’s dream — or nightmare — depending on the conditions.
The fleet and format
Unlike the solo Vendée Globe, La Course des Caps is a crewed race — a chance for IMOCA skippers to test their boats and teams under full load. All eleven entrants are 60-foot IMOCA monohulls — the same foiling beasts designed to race alone around the world. But here, with multiple hands on deck, the racing is tighter, and the margin for error even smaller.
Among the starters are heavyweights like Sam Goodchild (Macif Santé Prévoyance), Jérémie Beyou (Charal), Samantha Davies (Heart Initiatives), and Thomas Ruyant (Vulnérable), who played a pivotal role in bringing the race to his home region. American sailor Cole Brauer, who recently made headlines with her solo performance in the Global Solo Challenge, is also racing — paired with Francesca Clapcich aboard Malizia SeaExplorer.
Although there are no Kiwi or Australian skippers in the fleet this year, the international roster includes sailors from France, England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Spain, and the USA. The spread reflects IMOCA’s growing global reach — and the race’s appeal as a training ground for future Vendée campaigns.
Prestige and beyond
For IMOCA teams, the race offers more than just prestige. It’s a demanding mid-season test of endurance, teamwork, navigation, and weather routing. It also provides an opportunity to shake down gear and crew in real-world conditions, with the next solo Vendée Globe close but even before that, in August this year, The Ocean Race—Europe 2025.
The record for an IMOCA circumnavigation of the British Isles is 5 days, 14 hours, set by Brian Thompson and the Artemis-Team Endeavour in 2014. Will the record fall? With modern foils, honed hulls, and top-tier sailors pushing 24/7, it’s well within reach — weather permitting.
A bold start, with an eye on the future
The event is designed to be biennial, alternating with the local Fêtes de la Mer. Organisers have already fielded interest from the Ultim Class — the 100-foot trimarans that dwarf even the IMOCAs — suggesting future editions could become even more spectacular.
For now, though, La Course des Caps is a celebration of tradition and renewal: a return to the North, a revival of a much-loved race, and a chance for the IMOCA fleet to show what it can do when the gloves come off and the capes await.
As the boats round the rocks, dodge the tides, and chase each other through historic waters, one thing is clear — offshore sailing in the north is back.
