Brest to host the World Military Sailing Championship 2022

The World Championship is contested on J80s © Club Nautique de la Marine

For the third time in the event's history, the city of Brest is hosting the World Military Sailing Championship.

Organised from 31 May to 4 June 2022 in the Finistère region of north-west France, it will gather together nine nations. France is set to compete with a top-flight team since its members are flying the flag of the French Navy as part of the French sailing team. The tricolour boat will be skippered by the leading rating, Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, 6th at the last Olympic Games in the Laser category. Jean-Baptiste will notably be accompanied by the event local and first officer, Marie Riou, winner of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race and named World Sailor of the Year in 2018.

To guarantee perfect sporting equity, the Worlds are raced on boats supplied by the organisation - J80s - for a match racing format, where each country competes against the other, one on one, during an initial qualification phase. Following this four-day clash in which more than 36 races will be run, the best placed teams will qualify for the final phases, which will be contested on Saturday 4 June. The grand finale will decide Italy's successor for the title of World Military Sailing Champion.

Organised by the French Navy in Brest, this World Championship is also an opportunity for the local crowds to come along and watch the action. Indeed, spectators can follow the competition from the panoramic viewpoint at Le Moulin Blanc polder, where a wealth of entertainment will be on offer.

Vice-Admiral Olivier Lebas, Commander of the Atlantic Maritime district, Maritime Prefect and Commander in Chief for the Atlantic: "The French Navy is honoured to host the top military sailing teams in Brest who will be gunning for the World Champion title! The French Navy and the city of Brest have a shared history, which dates back nearly 400 years. Heirs to a common naval and military past, today's inhabitants of Brest and the sailors share the same economic, cultural and sporting heritage, and most importantly the same passion for competitive sailing: leading rating Camille Lecointre and ordinary rating Pierre Lecoq, sailors from the Army of champions and Olympic medallists, will notably cut their teeth here in Brest."

Ordinary seaman Quentin Delapierre, event patron: "I accepted the role of patron for the event as I'm lucky enough to have the support of the French Navy as an athlete. The Navy is assisting us throughout our Olympic Preparation and is giving us the opportunity to spend every minute of our day training. I wish all the competing crews fair winds. I'll be keeping a particularly close eye on the French boat. There are some very good racers aboard and they all have what it takes to post a solid performance."

Lieutenant of the Renaud, in charge of the sports element of the event: "It's the third time that Brest has hosted the World Military Sailing Championship. The first time was in 1949 and that was the first World Military Championship. Brest also hosted the event in 2005. It's all about striving to unite nations through sport. The principle behind the World Championship is to come together in a friendly and sociable spirit, even though there will be a battle royal out on the water."

The competing countries: Bahrain / Canada / Denmark / Spain / Greece / India / Poland / United States / France