French offshore racing legend Géry Trentesaux has revealed that his new Pogo RC, Courrier, had just four hours of crew training before taking on this year's Round Ireland Race – making the yacht's remarkable runner-up finish on corrected time all the more impressive.

The revelation comes after Courrier spent much of the race at the top of the overall leaderboard before eventually finishing second to Khumbu after one of the closest and most closely followed contests of the 2026 race.

Speaking to Afloat after returning home to France, Trentesaux reflected on a campaign that exceeded expectations despite the crew having only two two-hour training sessions before the start.

"The remarkable thing about the Irish campaign was that we trained just two days before the start for two hours," he said.

"This boat has a big potential, starting with new sails."

The experienced French owner believes the race ultimately slipped away in two key phases.

"On reflection, we lost that race off the north coast of Ireland where we had light wind and very choppy seas," he said.

"And at the finish where it took us more than two hours to complete the final mile."

Interestingly, despite leading the race on corrected time for long periods, Trentesaux says the crew never became preoccupied with their overall position.

"We were never concerned with our overall ranking," he said.

Before – Just four hours of training before the start of the 2026 Round Ireland Race, Courrier's crew gather at the Royal Irish Yacht Club. From left: Axel Tréhin, Antoine Carpentier, Géry Trentesaux and Tom Dolan. Photo: Facebook

Instead, the campaign focused on learning the capabilities of the new Pogo RC on one of offshore sailing's most demanding race courses.

Courrier's crew combined some of offshore racing's most accomplished names. Trentesaux was joined by Irish offshore ace Tom Dolan and leading French sailors Antoine Carpentier and Axel Tréhin.

Local Knowledge: Géry Trentesaux and Tom Dolan aboard Courrier. The French skipper described Dolan as "a champion" and said the crew hoped he would return for future offshore campaigns.

A key ingredient in the campaign was Dolan's knowledge of Irish waters.

"We were very lucky to bring Tom on board. We hope he comes back," Trentesaux said.

"In France, winning the Figaro race is the ultimate achievement. He is a champion."

Trentesaux also paid tribute to former Royal Ocean Racing Club Commodore Michael Boyd, who assisted the team before the start.

"We were also guided by a past RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd, who provided a wealth of information about the race, the charts and the tidal information."

After – Four days and 704 nautical miles later. Courrier's crew celebrate one of the standout performances of the 2026 Round Ireland Race at Wicklow Sailing Club. From left: Axel Tréhin, Antoine Carpentier, skipper Géry Trentesaux, Race Director Kyran O'Grady and Tom Dolan. Photo: Facebook.

Irish Landmark – Courrier passes the Wicklow Head Lighthouse after the start during her memorable Round Ireland campaign, where the new Pogo RC immediately proved competitive against larger offshore rivals Photo: Afloat

The result underlines the growing potential of the latest generation of lightweight scow-bow offshore yachts under IRC. Courrier's sustained challenge for overall honours generated considerable discussion during the race and reinforced the impression that the Pogo RC is capable of competing with significantly larger and more established offshore designs in the right conditions.

Team Effort – Tom Dolan, Géry Trentesaux, Antoine Carpentier and Axel Tréhin work on deck aboard Courrier during a race that followed just four hours of pre-start crew training.

For Trentesaux, however, the Round Ireland Race was only the beginning of the boat's programme.

Courrier is now preparing for the Round Corsica race in September, followed by the Rolex Middle Sea Race before continuing her campaign in the Solent and English Channel.

Scow Power – Courrier's distinctive scow bow and powerful hull shape helped keep the Pogo RC in contention throughout much of the Round Ireland Race against significantly larger yachts.

Fast Learning – Courrier charges along the Irish coast during one of the standout performances of the 2026 Round Ireland Race. The French crew quickly unlocked the potential of the new Pogo RC after just two short training sessions before the start.