Tour de France à la voile is an annual yachting race around the coast of France. Inaugurated in 1978, it links the English Channel to the French Riviera and is held in July.
Famous skippers have taken part in the race, including Loïck Peyron and the four time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts. The race is, however, not reserved for professionals, and it also attracts amateurs and students thanks to three distinct rankings.
The race visits around ten harbours along the French coast. It includes one or two day coastal stages - that vary from year to year - as well as intensive regattas at the various ports. The boats are transported by road (trucks) midway through the race from stages held in the Atlantic Ocean to those in the Mediterranean Sea.
Classes used
Each team sails the same type of boat, so that it is a one design competition. Different boats have been used since the creation of the race, as has the balance of the offshore and inshore racing elements. Classes used have been:
Years Boat type 1978 Écume de mer 1979–1981 First 30 1982–1983 Rush 31 1984–1991 Selection 37 1992–1998 JOD 35 1999–2010 Mumm 30/Farr 30 2011–2014 M34 2015–2019 Diam 24 2023–present Beneteau Figaro 3
List of previous winners
Year Boat Type Boat name Skipper 1978 Écume de mer Marseille François Paillou 1979 First 30 Dunkerque Joé Setten 1980 Dunkerque Damien Savatier 1981 Dunkerque Damien Savatier 1982 Rush 31 Marseille Jean-Paul Mouren 1983 Lanvéoc-Navale Benoît Caignaert 1984 Selection 37 Europe Philippe HaninDominique d’Andrimont 1985 Côtes du Nord Yannick Dupetit 1986 Le Havre Benoît Caignaert 1987 Sète-Languedoc-Roussillon Pierre MasBertrand Pacé 1988 Sète-Languedoc-Roussillon Pierre MasBertrand Pacé 1989 Ronic Saône-et-Loire Richard Sautieux 1990 Wasquehal Hans BousholtePhilippe Delhumeau 1991 La Ciotat Laurent Delage 1992 JOD 35 Sodifac-Roubaix Jimmy PahunJean-Pierre Dick 1993 Saint-Quentin-en Yvelines Thierry Péponnet 1994 Saint-Pierre et Miquelon Alain Fédensieu 1995 Baume & Mercier – Force EDC-Paris Bernard MallaretVincent Portugal 1996 Edouard Leclerc – Région SCASO Vincent Fertin 1997 CSC - Sun Microsystems Bertrand PacéPhilippe Guigné 1998 Nantes & Saint-Nazaire - Bouygues Telecom Luc Pillot 1999 Farr 30 Kateie Luc Dewulf 2000 Barlo Plastics Adrian Stead 2001 Virbac - St Raphaël - Générali Jean-Pierre Dick 2002 Nantes St Nazaire Pierre-Loïc Bethet 2003 CapSport Xavier LecœurBernard Mallaret 2004 Bouygues Telecom Pierre Loïc Berthet 2005 Toulon Provence Méditerranée COYCHyères Fabien Henry 2006 Région Île de France Jean-Pierre Nicol 2007 Toulon Provence Méditerranée COYCHyères Fabien Henry 2008 Courrier Dunkerque Daniel Souben 2009 Courrier Dunkerque Daniel Souben 2010 Nouvelle-Calédonie Bertrand PacéVincent Portugal 2011 M34 Sud de France/Languedoc-Roussillon Bertrand PacéVincent Portugal 2012 Toulon Provence Méditerranée COYCHyères Fabien Henry 2013 Groupama 34 Franck Cammas 2014 Courrier Dunkerque 3 Daniel Souben Erwan Le Roux 2015 Diam 24 Spindrift Thierry Douillard Xavier Revil François Morvan Matthieu Vandame 2016 Lorina Limonade - Golfe du Morbihan Matthieu Salomon Bruno Mouriac Kevin Pepoonnet Quentin Ponroy Quentin Delapierre 2017 Fondation FDJ - Des pieds et des mains Benjamin Amiot Damien Iehl Francois MorvanDamien Seguin 2018 Lorina Limonade - Golfe du Morbihan Bruno MourniacTim MourniacQuentin DelapierreCorentin Horeau 2019 Team Beijaflore Laurent BerjonArnaud JarleganPierre MasJulien VillionValentin BelletValentin SipanGuillaume Pirouelle 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 Cancelled due to a lack of sponsors. 2023 Figaro 3 Équipe Bretagne Jeunes Habitable, Paul Morvan56 2024 Dunkerque Voile Arthur Meurisse 2025
External links Official website