GDF Suez wins 2013 Class40 Championship

As the schedule from 2014-17 is published

The 2013 season for the Class40 has just come to an end with an intense Transat Jacques Vabre. For three weeks the Class40s raced from Le Havre to Itajai in southern Brazil, resulting in an international podium, comprising a French winner, a Spanish runner-up and a German boat completing the podium. 

Sebastien Rogues and Fabien Delahaye's Mach 40 GDF Suez came home first having led for almost the entirety of the course, while Alex Pella and Pablo Santurde was next home on the new Botin design Tales Santander 2014, followed closely by Jorg Riecher and Pierre Brasseur sailing another Mach 40 mare.

23 of the 26 starters finished with Marie Galante and Concise 8 forced to retire due to technical problems while Dunkerque-Planete Enfants pulled out after skipper and paralympic medallist Bruno Jourdren suffered medical problems.

It comes as little surprise after her superb season that winner of the overall Class40 championship is Sebastien Rogues' GDF Suez ahead of Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron's Pogo S2 Campagne de France. See the full results below.

The Class40 program for 2014-7 has now been finalised:

2014
2-5 May: Grand Prix Guyader
9-24 May: The Atlantic Cup
25 May-1 June: Normandy Channel Race
22-29 June: Record SNSM (1000 miles singlehanded between Saint-Nazaire, Spain, Ireland and Saint-Nazaire)
18-21 September: World Championship in Douarnenez
5-23 November: Route du Rhum

2015
28 April-1 May: Grand Prix de Douarnenez
14-21 May: Normandy Channel Race
23-31 May: The Atlantic Cup
21-23 June: Record SNSM
4-26 July: Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables
16-23 August: Rolex Fastnet Race
1-29 Nov: Transat Jacques Vabre

2016 (dates to be confirmed)
27 March-23 April: La Solidaire du Chocolat
28 April-1 May: Grand Prix de Douarnenez
15-29 May: The Atlantic Cup
19-21 June: Record SNSM
3-24 July: Quebec - Saint Malo
27 August-4 September: Normandy Channel Race

2017 (dates to be confirmed)
22-30 April: Normandy Channel Race
4-7 May: Grand Prix de Douarnenez
13-24 May: The Atlantic Cup
25-27 June: Record SNSM
2-24 July: Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables.
13 to 20 August: Fastnet Race
29 October-26 November: Transat Jacques Vabre