The Spi Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, scheduled from 3 to 6 April, marks the start of the 2026 season for Maccaferri Futura, the Class40 raced by skipper Luca Rosetti and built by Officine Maccaferri.

Participation in the regatta represents the first important test of the season for Maccaferri Futura, in a highly competitive context that each year brings together some of the best figures in international sailing, with 17 Class40 entries confirming a particularly high technical level.

The race will be contested with a full crew and will represent a meaningful test not only in terms of performance, but also in coordination, manoeuvre management and the interpretation of weather and sea conditions. Alongside Luca Rosetti, the crew will include Checco Bruni, boat captain Yaël Poupon, and offshore sailor from the French school Pierre Brasseur. For Bruni, this will be his first offshore experience aboard Maccaferri Futura, marking a gradual transition towards ocean sailing. His contribution will be particularly valuable in the early stages of the race, thanks to his extensive experience in buoy racing, where start management and close-quarters dynamics between boats are crucial. A team with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, assembled with the aim of maximising efficiency at sea and tackling a technical and often demanding course in the best possible way.

For the 48th edition of the Spi Ouest-France, more than 400 boats and over 40,000 visitors are expected, underscoring the event’s iconic status and its ability to combine a high level of competition with strong openness to crews from diverse backgrounds. The fleet, characterised by the presence of both established skippers and emerging sailors, also stands out for its diversity, including one-design classes, sportboats, Mini 6.50s, multihulls and IRC and Osiris cruisers, as well as a racecourse dedicated to para sailing, making the competition particularly dynamic and representative of the evolution of contemporary sailing.

“For us, the start of the new Maccaferri Futura season represents an important and highly anticipated moment. It is a project we strongly believe in, bringing together innovation, engineering and sporting performance,” said Sergio Iasi, Chairman of Officine Maccaferri. “The team is ready to return to the water with great enthusiasm, and we are set to fully engage in the ocean challenges scheduled for this year, beginning with a major event such as the Spi Ouest-France.”

“The Spi Ouest-France is a key step in starting the season, as it immediately places you in a highly competitive environment and often in variable conditions. Racing on coastal courses with a crew, featuring short and highly technical races, requires strong coordination and mutual trust: with Checco, Yaël and Pierre, we have built a solid team with complementary skills, and the goal is to quickly find the right rhythm. This regatta will allow us to thoroughly test Maccaferri Futura and lay the foundations for a season in which we aim to perform at our very best,” commented Luca Rosetti.