Pep Costa wins the 2026 Class40 Manche Atlantique Trophy
by Class40 7 Sep 22:30 PDT
CIC Normandy Channel Race © Jean-Marie Liot - NCR2026
The Manche Atlantique Trophy rewards the performance and consistency of skippers across six major events on the Class40 circuit, from the English Channel to the Atlantic.
Pep Costa (181 - VSF Sports) tops the overall standings ahead of Robin Follin and Lucas Rosetti.
The Spanish skipper built his success race by race, with a victory in the Round Ireland Yacht Race and a second-place finish in the CIC Normandy Channel Race among his highlights. His consistency perfectly reflects the goal he set himself at the start of the season: race as much as possible, gain experience and gradually build momentum ahead of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.
"It's a real source of satisfaction to win this Trophy, both for me and for the whole team. We treated every race as important and have prepared as well as we could since the beginning of the year, gradually building up our performance. We've had some fantastic moments this season, both fully crewed and double-handed. We tried to be serious and meticulous in every race, aiming for the top spots even though the competition is extremely tough, while also continuing to learn and keeping sight of our goal of arriving at the start of the Route du Rhum in the best possible shape."
The podium also tells a great story about a new generation of Class40 sailors: Pep Costa, Robin Follin and Lucas Rosetti are all around the same age, joined the Class40 circuit at roughly the same time and all sail Musa40s. Three projects progressing side by side, three skippers who know each other well and regularly train together — and three competitors who never let up when it came to racing.
"Robin and Lucas are formidable competitors. We train together quite a lot and often find ourselves racing alongside one another. It's also proof that we're performing at a good level and that we're all determined to do things properly. I'm very happy to share this podium with them."
Behind this trio, Djemilla Tassin also delivered an impressive performance, breaking into the overall Top 10 and finishing as the leading pointy-bow Class40. A result that also highlights the diversity of the Class40 fleet, bringing together different generations of boats and a wide range of skipper profiles.
Manche Atlantique Trophy 2026 Ranking:
- Pep Costa - 181 VSF Sports
- Robin Follin - 183 Solano
- Lucas Rosetti - 212 Maccaferri Futura
The Manche Atlantique Trophy was decided across six events: Spi Ouest-France BPGO, Armen Race USHIP, CIC Normandy Channel Race, Round Ireland Yacht Race, Round Britain & Ireland Race and 40 Malouine - La Trinquette.
Full results here