Stig Defends Title as Cape 31 Fleet Gathers for Hyères Finale

By Sailing Times Newsroom·22 September 2026·3 min read

The Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit concludes its 2026 season in Hyères, France, from 24 to 26 September, with 20 teams entered and the overall championship still open. The fleet moves to the French Riviera after four rounds in Italy and France, with reigning champion Alessandro Rombelli’s Stig leading the standings and newly crowned UK champions Guy Gillon’s Khumbu joining the fleet for the first time. Racing in Hyères comes just weeks before the inaugural Cape 31 Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez.

The 2026 circuit has produced three different winners across its four rounds so far. Rombelli’s Stig won the season opener in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, ahead of Michael Wilson’s Shotgunn and Kalantis. Hatari took round two in nearby Puntaldia, with Ahmet Eker’s Eker Süzme second and Richard Thompson’s Black Seal 2 third. August Schram’s Stella Maris then won in Bonifacio, Corsica, ahead of Stig and Shotgunn, before taking a second consecutive victory in Scarlino, Tuscany, this time with Austrian sailor Carla Waltersdorfer helming in Schram’s absence. Christian Schwoerer’s La Pericolosa finished second in Scarlino, with Hatari third.

Rombelli’s Stig leads the overall championship on 13 points heading into Hyères, followed by Stella Maris on 17, Wilson’s Shotgunn on 19 and La Pericolosa on 20. Thompson’s Black Seal 2 and Vittorio Lombardi Stronati’s Django round out the top six on 24 and 25 points respectively. Shotgunn will not compete in Hyères, leaving the remaining contenders an opportunity to reshape the standings before the title is decided.

The Hyères entry list includes several teams joining the Mediterranean fleet for the first time. German owners Sönke Meier-Sawatzki, racing Niramo, and Michael Berghorn, racing halbtrocken 3.1, are among the new arrivals. Niramo arrives having won the ORC C division at the Copa del Rey MAPFRE in Palma this summer. Gillon’s Khumbu, winner of both the 2026 Cape 31 UK National Championship and the UK season title, and Nikolai Burkart’s Gecko d’or also join the fleet. French sailor Victor Bordes, 24, makes his Mediterranean Circuit debut with Cape 31 hull number 2, racing under the name Outrage.

“It’s hard to believe we’re already heading into the final event of the season,” said Tor Tomlinson Cheney, Cape 31 Mediterranean Class Manager. “We’ve had an incredible year of racing, with three different regatta winners, new teams joining the fleet throughout the summer and some fantastic battles right across the championship standings. It’s especially exciting to see new owners and younger sailors coming into the class. Welcoming Victor and his young French team on Outrage in Hyères is a lovely example of the continued growth we’re seeing, and we’re also looking forward to having teams like Niramo and the newly crowned UK champions, Khumbu, joining us for the final round. With Stig defending their title, Stella Maris coming off two consecutive wins and La Pericolosa also in contention, there is still plenty to play for. It’s going to be a fantastic way to finish the Mediterranean season before we bring everyone together in Saint-Tropez for our first-ever Gold Cup.”

Racing runs from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September. The 2026 Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit champions will be confirmed at the opening reception of the Gold Cup in Saint-Tropez on 13 October, with the Gold Cup itself hosted by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez from 12 to 17 October and racing from 14 to 17 October.