La Pericolosa Wins Hyères

Six different boats won eight races in Hyères. The title went to the one that retired from a race.

Eight races were sailed on the Bay of Hyères, and six different boats won them. Chisum took the first race, Stig the second and Eker Süzme the third. Give Me Five won the fourth, Django the fifth and La Pericolosa the sixth, before Eker Süzme won the last two. In a fleet that level, the regatta went to the team that avoided the bad days rather than the one that won the most.

That team was Christian Schwoerer’s La Pericolosa, which finished on 26 points, six clear of the rest. Its week included a retirement. On the windy second day, a crash at the first windward mark forced the boat to retire from Race 4. The team used that race as its discard, came back to finish second in Race 5 and won Race 6.

“We had a crash at the first top mark and had to retire. Then we came back with a second and a first, so pretty good,” La Pericolosa’s Fabian Gielen said after racing that day. His summary of the team’s approach was shorter: “Speed is king.”

La Pericolosa’s counting scores were 2, 2, 7, 2, 1, 8 and 4. The team won one race, and that was enough.

Speaking after the victory, Michele from La Pericolosa credited the crew and the fleet. “The crew work is always the best on La Pericolosa. The speed team is fast, so we are fast,” he said. “It’s a super nice venue, the fleet is super tight and there are top sailors around, Olympic champions and all the best. This is what we want from the Cape 31: top level, top pros.”

The regatta opened on flat water in a westerly breeze after a two-hour postponement, and three races were sailed on the first day. The second day brought a big easterly of around 20 knots and steep seas, and three more races were completed. The final day brought another change, a lighter and shiftier easterly, and two more races completed the programme.

The breeze suited Django. Vittorio Lombardi Stronati’s team won Race 5 and finished fifth overall on 37 points. “We had around 20 knots today, which suited us a bit better, and it was a lot of fun,” Lombardi Stronati said. “We’re getting a little better, and I feel more confident, but it’s still difficult because the level in the Cape 31 fleet is so high.”

Behind the winner, second through fourth were separated by two points. Eker Süzme and Stig tied on 32, and Eker Süzme took second on countback with three race wins. Alessandro Rombelli’s Stig, the defending champion, won Race 2 and finished third. August Schram’s Stella Maris was fourth on 34.

Eker Süzme’s second place came from a perfect final day. The team won Races 7 and 8 while Gecko d’or, Chisum, Stella Maris and Stig fought closely at the front of the fleet. “We were looking at the results this morning and said we’d be happy if we could move up one or two places, so to come away with second overall, we’re over the moon,” said Sam Gilmour. “It wasn’t our most consistent weekend, but three race wins is a great result and a really good way to head into the Gold Cup.”

“Consistency is key,” Schram said after the opening day. Over eight races in Hyères, his words described the whole regatta.

The UK’s Cape 31 champion, Khumbu, made its first appearance in Hyères and finished sixth on 41 points. “We were fast, but we made a few manoeuvre errors,” Guy Gillon said after the first day, adding that it was “amazing to see so many boats lined up.”

Give Me Five had the hardest week in the fleet. The French team won Race 4, then found that its forestay had cut into the mast. The boat did not start the final three races and finished tenth. “We had a rigging problem today. Our forestay cut the mast at the end of the first race, and we sailed the second race without realising how serious the damage was. We’ll do everything we can to repair it in time for the Gold Cup,” owner Adrien Follin said.

The Corinthian / 1 Pro division went down to the final race. Chisum and Motions started Race 8 two points apart, and Chisum finished second across the full fleet to take the title. The team was 11th overall after opening the regatta with a win in Race 1. Motions finished second in the division, and new team Outrage by Series was third.

Hyères was the final round of the five-round 2026 Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit, and the season’s overall standings will be determined from the results here. Stig led the circuit coming into the event on 13 points, ahead of Stella Maris on 17, Shotgunn on 19 and La Pericolosa on 20. The champions will be formally crowned at the opening reception of the inaugural Cape 31 Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez next month. The Gold Cup is hosted by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, and racing runs from 14 to 17 October.

The regatta ended with a prize-giving at COYCH, hosted by club president Jacques Espuna. Prizes were presented alongside a representative from the City of Hyères and Cape 31 International Class President August Schram, who thanked the COYCH team for their support throughout the week. Schram also looked ahead to the Cape 31 Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez, where 28 boats are expected.

The Cape 31 Class thanked its Mediterranean Circuit partners, North Sails and Henri Lloyd, for their support throughout the 2026 season.

Cape 31 Mediterranean Series, Hyères: Final Results (Top 10)

1. La Pericolosa, 26
2. Eker Süzme, 32
3. Stig, 32
4. Stella Maris, 34
5. Django, 37
6. Khumbu, 41
7. Gecko d’or, 44
8. GSpot, 56
9. Terrible Joy, 64
10. Give Me Five, 70