J classes at SPI Ouest-France at Société Nautique La Trinité-sur-Mer
by J Boats 14 Apr 21:30 AEST
3-6 April 2026
J/99 upwind during Spi Ouest-France 2026 © Jean-Marie Liot
Hosted by the eponymous Société Nautique La Trinité-sur-Mer, the 48th edition of the SPI Ouest-France - Banque Populaire Grand Ouest again took place over Easter Weekend on the Bay of Quiberon.
Over 390 boats participated in the regatta, with seasoned pros to passionate amateurs all battling it out to the very end. Featured this year were three "J" one-design classes: the J/80s with the largest fleet in the regatta, the J/70s, and the new J/99 class.
One of the newest members of the J/99 class was Emigdio Bedia, owner of the J/99 GORILON from Santander, Spain. He commented, "This is our second time coming to the SPI. We were here last year and really loved the atmosphere and the sailing grounds. We hail from Santander, in northern Spain; we reached La Trinité-sur-Mer by sea, delivering the boat last week with just two crew members over two days. Our goal for the SPI is simply to have a good time here. La Trinité is a magnificent place. We are also here to connect with the French crews." They were not going to be disappointed, as the SPI delivered in spades on both weather and the competition. Here is how it went down over the three days.
Day 1
Rainy weather, happy crews? The first day began in Quiberon Bay under lively conditions. A grey sky and scattered showers set the scene. The fleets started, driven by a steady westerly wind. Windward-leeward and coastal courses followed at a brisk pace. There were 62 races—a testament to the opening day's intensity.
The damp, almost autumnal weather in La Trinité-sur-Mer did nothing to dampen the crews' enthusiasm. On the contrary, it created an ideal playing field for spirited, aggressive sailing. Shifting gusts and exhilarating glides marked the opening races, which featured fierce starts and tight maneuvering. The result was a beautiful spectacle on Quiberon Bay—a sporty, intense opening act that set the stage for a promising weekend of racing.
Manee Steff, 17, crew member aboard the J/80 MILLESIME, commented on the first day: "This is my first time at the SPI Ouest-France. We've been sailing J/80s for two years now on the shared-fleet circuit, mainly out of Lorient. This year, we decided to bring a young crew to the SPI. We did include two or three 'veterans' to add some experience on board. Our main goal is to explore the event and have fun. If we can also put in a strong performance, that's a nice bonus!"
Day 2
Day two of racing kicked off in spectacular fashion with the grand "Voiles et Voiliers" sailboat parade, accompanied musically by the Bagad d'Auray. Nearly 390 crews set out together into the open sea, creating a magnificent spectacle in the channel at La Trinité-sur-Mer, watched by an enthralled crowd.
The competitors then moved to their race areas. The race committees got the action under way. The first races started at 11:00 AM in a 15-knot breeze, which gradually built through the day. Under a brilliant blue sky and on a slightly choppy sea, the conditions provided an ideal playing field and a grandiose spectacle.
On the agenda: windward-leeward courses and long coastal races ranging from 21 to 50 miles, depending on the class.
The day finished beautifully with a spinnaker finale for everyone. Dozens of colorful sails converged at the channel entrance, creating a stunning explosion of color on the water; it was a magical end to the day.
Day 3
The third day of racing was Easter Sunday. La Trinité-sur-Mer awoke to light drizzle, quickly swept away by a gentle westerly breeze. This shift gave competitors an ideal playing field.
The day's program featured both windward-leeward and coastal courses, depending on the class. Everyone set out in pursuit of the best tactical options and top spots. Early in the morning, a westerly wind of just under ten knots smoothed Quiberon Bay. By late morning, it eased to 7 or 8 knots. This made racing more tactical, and crews had to stay sharp to avoid mistakes.
J/99 Class
The J/99 fleet of nine boats included entries from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. It was a great inaugural competition for J/99 sailors across Europe, and what a wonderful way to celebrate being together than at the largest sailing regatta in France! The racing produced close competition, as evidenced by the roller-coaster scorelines across the podium!
Winning was Didier Le Moal's J-LANCE/JEM team from Les Sables d'Olonne with 19 net points. The crew included Fred Bouvier, Christophe Cremades, Jean Christophe Dupre, Peyo Cremades, and Arnaud Boissieres. Fred Bouvier commented on their win: "We are absolutely delighted! It was a fantastic SPI with extraordinary conditions. We were fortunate to race in the J/99 class among about ten owners. We also competed head-to-head with IRC 2 boats, which made for some great battles. On J-LANCE, the atmosphere is always top-notch. We've been sailing together for years as a crew of friends led by Didier Le Moal."
Taking the silver medal was another French team- Eric Kerscaven's PL YACHTING- JUST PLY with 30 pts net. Eric's team included Raphael Auffret, Thomas Racoupeau, Tom Mainguet, Samy Villeneuve, and Paul Liron. Rounding out the podium was the Spanish team on GORILON with 36 pts net. Skippered by Emigdio Bedia, his crew from Santander, Spain, included Jaime Salcines, Juan Bedia, Pablo Bedia, Javier Escalada, Victor Gonzalez, Gustavo Arce, and Borja Callejo.
Rounding out the top five were two French teams. Taking fourth was Phillippe Rios's GWAIHIR VENTURI with 41 pts net, and in fifth place was Daniel Robin's JAFFA with 48 pts net.
J/80 Class
The huge 53-boat J/80 fleet featured a duel to the finish for the gold & silver medals between two teams. Despite winning five of the ten races, it was not an easy win for Tristan Le Jeune's ESPOIRS SNBSM team, taking the gold medal by a single point with 20 pts net! Tristan's team included Valentin Belles, Mathieu Le Cleach, Tangi Leg Goff, and Albane Christien.
Despite winning the last race, the legendary veteran and perennial J/80 champion Simon Moriceau could not put enough boats between his DENTAL ASSIST team and the ESPOIRS SNBSM team, who finished third in the last race! As a result, Simon's team of Alice Bigot, Simon Bertheau, Vincent Guillermo, and Damien Fleury had to settle for the silver medal with 21 pts net.
Rounding out the podium for the bronze medal with 41 pts net was Ophelie Hamon's CN ST CAST Team of Ronan Hamon, Clement Commagnac, and Josselin Le Moine.
The balance of the top five included Victorien Eon's PORNIC TEAM JEUNES in fourth and Benoit Charon's YACHT CLUB DE GRANVILLE team in fifth place.
ESPOIRS SNBSM skipper Tristan Le Jeune commented on their win, "This victory was somewhat unexpected! We came here aiming for a top-five finish, so winning is clearly the icing on the cake. Just a podium finish would have been great... but a victory is even better. On board, we're a crew of friends who have been sailing together for a long time: Mathieu, Tanguy, Valentin, and Albane, who joined us more recently. The chemistry clicked right away, creating a fantastic atmosphere— one that was both relaxed and highly constructive. We never lost focus during the races; we always stuck together, without a single cross word exchanged. Tonight, a very happy crew is heading back to Saint-Malo... still a little surprised, but I'm sure it will sink in later!"
J/70 Class
Like their colleagues in the J/80 fleet, the J/70s also featured a duel to the final race in their twelve-race series. Ultimately, Yves Fretigny's IZENAH 4 won by winning the first five races in convincing fashion, then closing with a mind-blowing tally of three 1sts and four 2nds for a 14 pts net total! Impressive, to say the least! Fretigny's team included Guillaume Plassart, Nicolas Cotten, Jean Fretigny, and Jean-Rene Dufief.
Despite keeping pace in virtually every race with IZENAH 4, Yanning Loyer's J-OUT-OF-THE-BOX II team posted four 1sts and seven 2nds for 18 pts net to take home the silver medal. Loyer's team included Youri Siegel, Franck Aussedat, and Fabien Baetz from the SR Vannes club.
Rounding out the podium was Lukas Thepot-Denis's AON Team in third place, posting eight 3rd for 34 pts net! His crew consisted of Paul Bessonnet, Guerin Lavaste, and Aenael Costa-Marrec.
The rest of the top five included Fabien Keromnes's ENER'J in fourth and Nicolas Salet's ERISMA in fifth place.
Osiris C Division
In this 22-boat offshore fleet, two J/teams landed on the podium after six races. Taking the silver medal was Jean Marie Patier's J/112E JOIE DES ILES with a largely family crew! His crew consisted of Margot, Matthieu, & Patrice Roynette, Sebastian Vandame, Nicolas Dore, Jean-Baptiste Boullet, Corentin Le Roy, Eric Tortiger, and Mathieu Viebecq.
Just one point behind the J/112E JOIE DES ILES to earn the bronze medal was Sam Blevin's J/109 JOKE. Blevin's mostly family crew consisted of Baptiste, Pierre, Thomas & Francois Blevin, Franck Berson, Louis Cotten, and Reynald Trochel.
For more SPI Ouest France sailing information visit spi.ouest-france.fr