Fresh off their October Grand Slam win team LYNX helmed by Pierre-Yves Lambert claimed the 2025 SB20 French Nationals strengthening their position as one of the standout teams to watch as the countdown to the SB20 World Championship in Hyères 2026 officially begins.
Seventeen teams representing France, United Kingdom, Belgium and Malta gathered at the 2026 Worlds venue, where light winds turned the regatta into a mental game. With just 5 knots on the best moments and four days of challenging conditions, the Race Committee worked tirelessly to deliver quality racing:
“Jean Diaz twice sent us out early to catch the night thermal breeze,” – Pierre-Yves said. “Thanks to that, we still managed to squeeze in six good races.”
Onshore, the après-sail atmosphere at COYCH kept spirits high – a blend of shared frustrations, lessons learned and plenty of laughter under the Hyères sunset. But when the final scores landed, Team Lynx stood firmly on top, followed by Rhapsodie IYCH and Boumian.
A skipper at home in Hyères
Few sailors are as embedded in the Hyères sailing scene as Pierre-Yves Lambert:
“I’ve been living in Hyères for 25 years,” – he said. “Before that, I was near Nice, where I started competition sailing – especially during more than ten Tour de France à la Voile projects and various match racing seasons.”
His SB20 journey began in 2013, fittingly at the SB20 Worlds hosted in Hyères. He entered the event sailing boat 3009 – ‘one of the oldest SB20s,’ – as he proudly calls it: “The boat you can see in the original rigging guide!” Since then, he’s raced in nearly every SB20 World championship: Torbole, Cowes, Dublin, Hyères 2019, Scheveningen, Singapore and Ostend.
“I’m totally fond of this boat,” – says Pierre. – “It combines so many advantages – fun and sporty, high level, but open to all levels. Great spirit, simple and affordable for that standard of racing.”
A new generation onboard LYNX
One of the biggest storylines behind LYNX’s recent success is the team itself. In 2024, Pierre-Yves began sailing with young athletes from the Pôle France Voile Inshore in Marseille, a performance centre known for producing high-calibre match racers and fleet racers.
“They complete their programme with me in our SB20 Lynx team — a very good complement for them and some really good moments for all of us!” – Pierre-Yves said.
Coached by Olympic bronze medallist Xavier Rohart, the young sailors bring speed, energy and a sharp competitive edge to their performance. Their results at the SB20 Europeans earlier this year hinted at their potential. Their French Nationals victory confirms it.
VMG Sailing – a hub all things SB20 in France
Beyond racing Pierre-Yves also plays a growing role in supporting the Class in France. Encouraged by long-time class leader Ed Russo, he founded VMG Sailing in Hyères – dedicated French SB20 dealer.
“VMG is focused on SB20 products bought from Devoti. You can order anything on vmg-sailing.com.”
Pierre-Yves’ goal is to build momentum with the local fleet and make it easier than ever for sailors to access parts, service and new boats.
The new Devoti SB20 – performance meets consistency
Sailing LYNX 3837, one of the latest Devoti-built boats, Pierre-Yves has nothing but praise:
“We are very happy with our new Devoti boat — and I can hear that other new owners are too!” – he said. “The performance is confirmed in any weather conditions, but the key thing is that the boats remain strictly identical to previous ones. That’s essential for the Class.”
He also applauded Devoti’s responsiveness: “When they identified a weakness in the first rudders, they changed all of them and fixed the issue. Their involvement is perfect.” With new charter boats available and the enthusiasm rising in Italy, this new production phase is proving to be a boost for the international fleet.
All eyes on Hyères 2026
With the Worlds returning to his home waters, Pierre-Yves is clear about his ambitions:
“Of course we are preparing for the Worlds in Hyères, and I hope that a French team can win the title currently held by John… before bringing it back to him in Torquay in 2027!”
For now, the next stop is the Hyères Coach Regatta on 10–11 January, where many of the Nationals teams will return for more training – and where the road to the 2026 Worlds will continue to take shape.
2025 French Nationals – Full results
Text & photos: Anna Zyk