With 10 days to go before the festivities begin, the Azimut faces new challenges
This year, even more so than in the previous 15 editions, the focus will be on sports, but also on socializing and cultural exchange, from September 15 to 20.
People are at the heart of the Défi, of course.
Sam Goodchild, skipper of Macif Santé Prévoyance—who never competes just to make up the numbers—calls the Défi Azimut “the race of sharing.” It’s a fitting description, because this year, even more so than in the fifteen previous editions, the focus will be not only on the sport but also on connections and exchanges from September 15 to 20. “With five days of racing, the Défi is a short event on the IMOCA calendar, but paradoxically, we know how to make the most of it,” adds Jean-Marie Corteville. “This year, we’ve focused the program even more on networking and sharing experiences,” summarizes the president of the IT solutions company Azimut.
On the agenda, Friday will be dedicated to four conferences organized by Bretagne Next, Audélor, and the University of Southern Brittany. As in 2025, Pierre-Yves Lautrou will moderate the sessions, which will cover topics including naval architecture and innovation in hulls, appendages, and sails, with a special focus on the Ferrari and K-Challenge boats.
These and many other topics may also be discussed during the two “Afterwork” events scheduled for late Thursday and Friday afternoons. These informal discussions will be open primarily to the Partners’ Club, created this year to bring together all the private-sector stakeholders involved in the Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération—“companies whose local roots make sense and help us grow,” says Jean-Marie Corteville.