The 13th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo transatlantic race officially started on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 1:02pm local time off Saint-Malo, France. According to France Info La1ère, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is open to all sailboats 39 feet and longer, and features six categories: “These include the ULTIM, IMOCA, OCEAN FIFTY (formerly Multi50), and CLASS40 classes, offering an engaging mix of professional racers and amateurs.” The current record is held by Charles Caudrelier (the winner of the 2022 edition), who made the trip in 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds at sea.
As Yachting World reported, two hours after the start of the race, Violette Dorange’s IMOCA Initiatives Coeur came together with Romain Pilliard’s 75-foot trimaran Use It Again. Both skippers were unhurt, but the boats headed to a nearby port for repairs.
Here are excerpts from Yachting World. [See additional links below.]
IMOCAs and Multihulls
The Route du Rhum is unique in having 115 solo skippers racing across six different classes in both monohull and multihull – and they all start on a single line.
Although the start line is sectioned with, for example, the giant 100ft Ultims the furthest offshore, it means the entire fleet races the initial stages of the course together. [. . .]
Route du Rhum 2026 start
Otherwise, the 2026 Route du Rhum got away cleanly in near-perfect conditions of bright sunshine and light winds that saw enormous crowds line the shore to wave the fleet off on their 3,500-mile course to the French Caribbean.
Unlike the brutal start this race is often famed for, today’s conditions were a mild 8-11 knots for the start, the fleet first racing past the iconic Cape Fréhel before pointing their bows to the open ocean.
Going into the first night of the race, the fleet is racing in building 20-knot north-easterlies.
In the Ultim fleet, an early lead has been taken by Tom Laperche on SVR-Lazartigue, marginally ahead of Armel Le Cléac’h on Maxi Banque Populaire XI. The top five foiling Ultims were all up to 35-plus-knot boat speeds, the brand new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild with defending race champion Charles Caudrelier is 5th, but sailing at over 36 knots.
Pre-race favourite Sam Goodchild headed the IMOCA fleet on Macif Sante Prévoyance, ahead of Italian Ambrogio Beccaria on Allagrande Mapei.
Before the start, Goodchild commented: “If I could win the Route du Rhum, it would be my greatest victory. But you can also have a great race without winning. My goal is to enjoy myself and especially to be proud of my performance when I reach the finish line.” [. . .]
You may follow the route via https://www.routedurhum.com/en, https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/direct-vivez-le-depart-de-la-13e-edition-de-la-route-du-rhum-destination-guadeloupe-2026-1753635.html#, https://www.yachtingworld.com/all-latest-posts/collision-after-route-du-rhum-start-both-skippers-unhurt-164470, and https://www.routedurhum.com/en
[Photos by Loïc Venance / AFP / Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. From https://www.yachtingworld.com/all-latest-posts/collision-after-route-du-rhum-start-both-skippers-unhurt-164470.]
The 13th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo transatlantic race officially started on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 1:02pm local time off Saint-Malo, France. According to France Info La1ère, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is open to all sailboats 39 feet and longer, and features six categories: “These include the ULTIM, IMOCA, OCEAN
