France’s Thomas André and Colombe Julia have won the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship after taking a closely fought 190-nautical-mile final off Marseille. The French pair, racing FRA01, emerged from a four-boat battle in light and shifting winds to cross the finish at 12:20:26 on Friday, 2 October, just over two days after the start.
Australia’s Annie Stevenson and Peter Winter took second, with Belgium’s Jonas Gerckens and Djemila Tassin third.
For Ireland, the championship had ended at the previous stage when Richard Bretherton and Inka Lührs narrowly missed the single remaining place in the final. As Afloat reported ahead of the championship, Bretherton and Lührs were making Ireland’s debut at the event among 17 teams representing 13 nations.
They subsequently came within one place of reaching the 11-boat decider, finishing second to Norway’s Karl Otto Book and Maren Magda Book in the 124-mile repechage, where only the winning crew advanced.
Championship charge: France’s Thomas André and Colombe Julia power FRA01 through the heavy conditions on their way to winning the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship. Photo: Pierick Jeannouto
Four Boats Fight for World Title
The championship final began at 11.30 am on Wednesday, 30 September, with the supplied Sun Fast 30 One Design fleet facing an opening 90-mile beat in winds of around 20 knots and one-to-two-metre seas.
Uruguay’s Federico Waksman and Irina Gracheva led early before André and Julia moved ahead during the first afternoon.
Belgium made substantial gains on the beat, climbing from tenth at Île Maïre to third at Cannes, while Australia moved into fourth. The breeze then faded dramatically for the 90-mile return towards Marseille.
Stevenson and Winter made their move on the final morning by staying closer to shore, finding stronger breeze and taking the lead.
That left FRA01, AUS01, BEL01 and URU01 in contention as they approached the final leg from Planier Lighthouse.
The French crew committed to the right-hand side towards the mainland, finding extra pressure beneath the cliffs to regain the lead and secure the championship.
“It was so intense,” André said. “Every time there was always something happening. Upwind we were tacking every 10–15 minutes. We managed to take every lift from every headland. Then when it went light, Australia squeezed past us. They were fast.”
André said the French pair believed Australia might benefit from the shorter route near the mountains, but once the boats converged again they were confident they could match their rivals.
Eight Seconds Decide Third
Behind the winners, Australia crossed second while the contest for bronze went to the line. Belgium’s Gerckens and Tassin beat Uruguay by just eight seconds to take third. A subsequent time penalty for URU01 promoted the Netherlands’ Christine Walta and Simeon Tienpont to fourth, after they finished only 52 seconds back.
Final showdown: The Sun Fast 30 One Design fleet races off Marseille, where four crews remained in contention for the world title on the closing leg from Planier Lighthouse. Photo: Pierick Jeannouto
André and Julia are both Figaro sailors and previously raced together in the 470 class, experience they drew on during a final that ranged from strong winds and heavy seas to near-flat calm. The championship was raced in identical supplied Sun Fast 30 One Design yachts, putting the emphasis on crew performance rather than equipment differences.
Cannes Next in 2027
The Offshore Double Handed World Championship moves along the French Mediterranean coast for its next edition, which is scheduled for mid-October 2027 in Cannes. The Marseille championship was organised by CNTL, Yacht Club de France, the Royal Ocean Racing Club and Cap Regatta, with support from the French Sailing Federation.
