Following an exciting final showdown on the final passage round the west side of Achille Nebout secured a hard earned victory, crossing the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe at 09:04:05hrs (local time) / 13:04:05hr (UTC). By completing the solo ocean sprint in 14 days, 1 hours, and 2 minutes, he wins the Route du Rhum’s biggest class which had 49 starters off Saint Malo two weeks ago on Sunday 1st November.
It is the biggest win yet for the 36 year old solo skipper who is from near Montpellier in south of France. He races a Lift v2 boat which four years ago won this race in the hands of Yoann Richomme. After losing more than 12 miles of his lead during the final lap of Guadeloupe, Gullaume Piroulle getting to within a mile and a half of him, Nebout held his nerve and stayed fast to clinch the class win.
* Subject to jury review
The winner’s race in numbers Finish time (Pointe-à-Pitre): 09:04:05hrs Finish time (UTC): 13:04:05hrs Race duration: 14d 1h 2m 45s Distance covered 3874.13 nms Margin over the runner-up: XX
* Avant jury
A profile of the winner: a different path
Compared to the traditional route taken by the Bretons who dominate French ocean racing there is something pleasantly different about the path taken by Achille Nebout. Instead of the rugged, rocky, tidal Brittany coast Nebout grew up on the shores of the Mediterranean, in the Hérault area near Montpellier. His father, an architect and sailing enthusiast from La Grande-Motte, enjoyed taking the family out on the water and racing with friends. Among the family friends was renowned local ace Kito de Pavant—a prominent and successful figure who won La Solitaire du Figaro and raced on the IMOCA and Class40 circuit for many years. In fact, when Achille was just three years old, the Nebout family traveled to the West Indies to visit Kito and his family.
While he also explored soccer and rock climbing in his youth, it was sailing that truly took hold. He joined the Carnon sailing club, where sailing quickly became an all-consuming passion whenever the weather allowed. This was followed by studies at a prestigious engineering school in Lyon (INSA) and, above all, a deep immersion all things sailing and the sea—ranging from Olympic-class sailing to match racing (in J/70, Diam24, and the one design SB20 sportsboat in which he won the World Championship). Next, he turned to the Figaro circuit to hone his skills, competing four times in the Solitaire du Figaro. His best result on La Solitaire? Third in 2022 when the winner was none other than Tom Laperche who just won the Ultim class and behind runner up.....Guillaume Piroulle who takes second today!
He acquired the boat previously sailed by Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), which had just won the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe and with his small, dedicated team sets about optimising and campaigning the boat. He has four years to learn and grow, supported by a small, dedicated team. There have been difficult moments—such as losing his mast during the 2025 Normandy CIC Channel Race—but also memories that will last a lifetime: a victory in the legendary Québec–Saint-Malo race racing with Gildas Mahé and Alan Roberts, another at the 2024 Med Max Occitanie Saidia Resorts, and a podium finish in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2nd place in 2023). He has matured as a skipper and even became a father to a daughter in April 2024. Until recently, Achille was often categorized as an "outsider" rather than a clear favourite, now he has proven that actions speak louder than words..
The race scenario: pushing to the limit.
The 40-footers were also forced to take a route north of the great-circle course (orthodromic path), as the trade winds had failed to properly establish themselves. Working pre-start with La Solitaire winner Tom Dolan they decided crossing the light winds trough south of Ireland to the south would be beneficial. That worked but he chased Pirouelle for days and when the leader got stuck in a light winds transition zone, Nebout struck and built a lead which at one point was the best part of 20 miles. But the tenacious Normandy skipper Pirouelle who won last year’s two handed Transat with Cedric Chateau closed right up last night and this morning, but this time Nebout was able to hold firm.