Sodebo Fifty begins its crewed season with the Grand Prix of Sainte-Maxime
by Sodebo Voile 29 Apr 21:43 NZST
29 April - 2 May & 6-9 May 2026
Sodebo Fifty begins its crewed season © Guillaume Gatefait / Sodebo Sailing
The 2026 Ocean Fifty class season officially opens today with the first races in Sainte-Maxime. From April 29th to May 2nd, coastal and offshore crewed races will take place in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, followed by a second event from May 6th to 9th in Ajaccio, Corsica. These two Mediterranean stages promise a spectacular show close to the spectators, in ideal conditions for competitive racing.
For Sodebo Voile, this is the entry into competition of its new Sodebo Fifty, relaunched on March 29 in Lorient after several months of work.
Léonard Legrand, who is taking on his new role as skipper, will be able to rely on a top-flight crew in Sainte-Maxime with Charlotte Yven, Thomas Coville, Charles Defontaine and Frédéric Denis.
Interview with Léonard Legrand
Q: How are you feeling in your new role as skipper?
"I'm still learning about group management, managing athletes of this very high level that we have on board. It's new to me, but they are incredibly supportive and the atmosphere is really great. I'm extremely happy to have them around me because you can feel that it's helping the project progress."
"We're really, really looking forward to competing and going head-to-head with the other Ocean Fifty boats. We know the level of competition is very high, and that the boats are meticulously maintained. We're curious, but we need to stay focused, keep things simple, and not overestimate ourselves... The goal of this first competition in Sainte Maxime is really to discover the potential of Sodebo Fifty; we're at the very beginning of our journey (remember, the trimaran was relaunched on March 29th). And also to have fun, because we have a very good and friendly crew; it's great to be out on the water together."
Introducing the Sodebo Fifty crew by Léonard Legrand:
Charles Defontaine, No. 1: "He's the forward crewman. He's also the boat captain; he knows Sodebo Fifty inside and out, technically, the structure, the cleats, the lines... It's important to have him on board because he also understands the boat in competition and sees optimizations to be made for solo sailing later on. He's the one who furls the headsails. It's a pretty physical job where he's always balancing or precariously balancing on the net. He's the acrobat of the boat!"
Fred Denis, tactician: "His responsibility is race strategy, which means taking his head out of the boat and observing what's happening around him: knowing where the competitors are, having a clear view of the water, observing wind shifts and variations, and making sure we're sailing the course correctly, on the right trajectory. Freddy sets the pace, telling us when we'll maneuver, what maneuvers we'll make, etc. We're essentially at his service to execute the trajectory he's defined. There's always a small element of the unknown, a bit of luck involved, but he still has a lot of experience. He knows these boats well, and I'm really happy to be sailing with him again after our round-the-world trip this winter."
Charlotte Yven handles the trim and the rigging: "She's partnered with me on this. Charlotte is still learning about multihulls, but she understands boats well and adapts very quickly. We call it the rigging because it's a bit like hands on a piano moving around. It's kind of like the engine of the boat, and our mission is to fine-tune the boat to make it go as fast as possible. Charlotte takes care of the appendages like the centerboard and foils, while I take care of the headsails. It interests me because it's exactly what I'll be doing later on. I want to be able to perfectly trim Sodebo Fifty single-handed."
And finally, Thomas Coville at the helm: "It was my idea to organize this for the rest of the program, where I'll be sailing mainly under autopilot. For the Grand Prix races, I'm very happy to entrust him with the helm because Thomas has a good feel for the boat, and as soon as we change something in the settings, he's able to tell us what he's noticing. It's great for making progress going forward. Plus, he has this role in which he excels: having an overall view of how the boat is working and setting the pace."
Q: How are you feeling about this first Grand Prix in Sainte-Maxime?
"It's a small body of water, so the races will be intense and fast-paced because we'll be reaching the next buoy very quickly. There will be a lot of maneuvers coming one after another, and that suits us because I think we're capable of working well together and communicating effectively. It's going to be physically demanding. We're starting with relatively light winds on Wednesday, and it will gradually increase on Thursday and Friday because the wind will be stronger and the boats will be faster. It will be great because we'll also be sharing the experience with guests during the races, who will get an immersive experience."
Sodebo Fifty 2026 Program
- Act 1 - Sainte-Maxime: April 29 - May 2
- Act 2 - Ajaccio: May 6 - 9
The rest of the season will continue solo:
- Act 3 - Drheam Cup (Cherbourg > Lorient): July 9-18
- Act 4 - 24H Ultim: End of September
- Act 5 - Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe (Saint-Malo > Pointe-à-Pitre): departure on November 1st