Sailing Energy / Cape 31 Class Association
Christian Schwoerer’s La Pericolosa leads the final round of the 2026 Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit in Hyères after the opening day, where 20 teams completed three races on Thursday. The fleet waited through a two-hour postponement before a westerly breeze filled in over flat water and built through the afternoon.
Chisum won the first race, with La Pericolosa second. In the second race La Pericolosa led for most of the course, but reigning champion Stig passed them on the final run to take the win. Ahmet Eker’s Eker Süzme closed the day with a dominant victory in the third race, finishing well clear of the fleet.
Scores of 2, 2 and 7 put La Pericolosa on 11 points, ahead of August Schram’s Stella Maris on 16 and Alessandro Rombelli’s Stig on 17. Schram credited consistency and a focused crew for his team’s position.
UK champions Khumbu, racing in Hyères for the first time, sit fifth on 23 points after leading the fleet around the first windward mark of the day. Guy Gillon noted the start line was almost twice the size of the UK fleet. “We were fast, but we made a few manoeuvre errors,” he said. German newcomers Niramo finished third in the final race, while Eker Süzme is seventh overall on 24 points.
Stronger breeze is forecast for Friday’s second day of racing. The 2026 Mediterranean Circuit champions will be crowned at the opening reception of the inaugural Cape 31 Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez next month.
