Nautical events in Pornichet

It all began in a Paris restaurant during the 1999 Boat Show. Maurice Viaud, then Vice President of the Pays de la Loire Sailing League, sketched a route on a paper tablecloth. He imagined a 300-nautical-mile solo race departing from Pornichet, reaching the bay of Quiberon, rounding Belle-Île, sailing south toward Île d’Yeu and Les Sables-d’Olonne, continuing north toward the island of Groix before returning to port. The Pornichet Select 6.50 was born.

Since 2000, this race has become the opening event of the Mini 6.50 Class season. Every spring, up to 90 international skippers set off from Pornichet deep-sea port. The race is part of the French Offshore Racing Championship and serves as a qualifying stage for the legendary Mini Transat. Over more than twenty-five years, the organisation has changed hands — from Club Nautique de la Baie du Pouliguen to Loire Atlantique Course au Large, and from 2025 onwards to ULTIM Sailing — but the race has never left Pornichet.

The Solitaire du Figaro further reinforces this maritime heritage. Created in 1970 under the name Course de l’Aurore, this legendary French offshore race has seen generations of sailors compete, from the Half Tonner prototypes of the 1980s to the Figaro BENETEAU 3, the world’s first foil boat monotype launched in 2019. Covering between 1,500 and 2,000 nautical miles with occasionally international stopovers, the race turns every host port into a major celebration. Pornichet had the honour of hosting this iconic race in 1992 and once again in 2026 for its 57th edition.

In March, Pornichet deep-sea port transforms. The Women’s Cup, created in 2011, brings together all-female crews in a competition where amateur sailors and elite athletes share the same starting line. During the day, they race. In the evening, discussions and roundtables focus on women’s place in sport and society. The project supports the Plan International NGO , with every edition helping raise funds for girls’ education around the world. For more than a decade, this initiative has been recognised as a benchmark project helping drive change in the sailing world.

Then in June, Plage des Libraires becomes the stage for a completely different energy. The Pornichet Gliss Trophy takes over the shoreline for three days dedicated to watersports: paddleboarding, wingfoiling and outrigger canoeing. A 2,000-square-metre event village welcomes visitors. You can borrow a board, test a paddle or try stand-up paddleboarding for the very first time. A beginner-friendly race completes the programme. Here, experience matters more than performance.

Another summer event brings a different kind of intensity. In July, the French Match Racing Championships set up their event village at the end of the northern jetty, complete with grandstands overlooking the bay. This highly technical sailing competition gathers some of the world’s best skippers and crews. On board J80 yachts, teams battle in tactical head-to-head duels where every manoeuvre counts. At stake: the title of French Elite Champion and ranking points for the World Match Racing Tour. Spectators gather along the quay, analysing every move and holding their breath. Admission is free.