Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe

The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe is the headline race on the French solo calendar. It's a 3,542-nautical-mile single-handed crossing of the Atlantic from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, held every four years since 1978. The 13th edition starts on Sunday 1 November 2026 (13:02 local time), with the race village opening on the Saint-Malo quays from 20 October. Around 118 skippers are entered across six classes: Ultim, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, Class40, Vintage Multi and Vintage Mono. That makes it one of the biggest fleets in offshore racing, and one of the few where amateurs line up alongside the world's best.

Most attention will be on the Ultims, the 32-metre flying trimarans that can reach the Caribbean in under a week. Charles Caudrelier set the course record of 6 days, 19 hours and 47 minutes in 2022 aboard Gitana 17. He returns to defend his title in her successor, Gitana 18. The new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild only launched in February and first flew on her Y-shaped foils in late May, so this will be its first race. Caudrelier completed his 1,200-mile solo qualifier north of Ireland in September, but he admits the boat won't be at 100 per cent of its potential on the start line.

That leaves the door ajar for the others. Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire XI) is on his fifth attempt at a Rhum win that has always eluded him, and Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) lines up for the eighth time. Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue) makes his Rhum debut, while Anthony Marchand sails Actual Ultim 4, the former Gitana 17 that won last time. Saint-Malo local Louis Burton completes the six-boat field aboard Armand Thiery.

The Rhum's appeal has always been its breadth, though, and there are races within the race all the way down the fleet. The 26-strong IMOCA fleet is arguably the most open. Jérémie Beyou (Charal) is one favourite, having finished third last time and won last autumn's Transat Café L'Or. The other is Franco-British sailor Sam Goodchild, aboard Charlie Dalin’s Vendée Globe-winning MACIF Santé Prévoyance. Goodchild has won the 1000 Race, finished second in the Vendée Arctique and, on 19 September, won the 48H Azimut by more than 30 miles. With defending champion Thomas Ruyant, Violette Dorange, Elodie Bonafous and Francesca Clapcich also in the mix, the IMOCA podium is far from settled.

In the Ocean Fifty trimarans, 2022 was decided by 18 minutes after more than 3,500 miles, and 11 boats are entered this time. The Class40s bring the numbers: 49 entries, the biggest class of all. They are also guaranteed a new winner, because two-time champion Yoann Richomme has moved to the IMOCA. Corentin Douguet (SNSM) starts as the man to beat in a class where a dozen skippers could realistically win.