Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe
Solo transatlantic from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe, first held in 1978. Open to multiple classes – Ultim, IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, Class40, Rhum Multi and Mono – and culturally huge in France. The next start is announced for 1 November 2026.
Transat Jacques Vabre / Transat Café L'Or
Double-handed transatlantic from Le Havre to the Caribbean (currently Martinique). Originated in 1993 as a coffee-trade homage. Now under Café L'Or branding, it forms part of the IMOCA Globe Series and is a major fixture for Ocean Fifty and Class40 fleets.
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec
A multi-leg solo offshore series in one-design Beneteau Figaro 3s. Acts as France's finishing school for single-handed offshore talent, with typical editions featuring 500-700nm legs through tricky tidal waters. If you want to graduate to the Vendée Globe at some point in the future, this is where you learn the trade.
Mini Transat EuroChef
Solo transatlantic in 6.50m 'Mini' boats, usually run in two legs from France via a mid-Atlantic stop to the Caribbean. Contested in Proto and Production divisions, it serves as a test-bed for wild designs and extreme sail plan experimentation.
The Transat CIC
The historic solo westbound transatlantic, first run in 1960 under various names including the OSTAR. Now reborn as The Transat CIC from Lorient to New York. Part of the IMOCA programme and still framed as a hard-upwind solo rite of passage.
Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération
An annual IMOCA gathering in Lorient featuring a 48-hour offshore race, speed runs and an inshore Tour de Groix. Functions as a high-intensity test session and media event before the autumn transatlantic races.
Transat Paprec
Double-handed Figaro transatlantic from Concarneau to Saint-Barthélemy. Corporate-backed and tightly linked to the Solitaire ecosystem.
