For the first time in the history of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, women will be on the starting line in the Ultim class (Alexia Barrier, IDEC Sport-CIC) and the Ocean Fifty class (Anne-Claire Le Berre, UpWind by MerConcept). In the IMOCA class, Violette Dorange (Initiatives Cœur), Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing), and Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes - Quéguiner) are among the contenders who could potentially finish on the podium. The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe shows some progress regarding gender diversity, though there is still much work to be done.
Last month, on stage at the Folies Bergère in Paris, during the presentation of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe Alexia Barrier chose to play it all down. "It’s true that I’m the first woman to compete in the race in the Ultim class, but that’s not really down to me," the skipper of IDEC Sport-CIC remarked with a smile. A few days later, speaking by phone, she confided: "Naturally, I regret that there weren't any women before me. But at the same time, I feel privileged to be able to pave the way in this regard."
"Things are moving in the right direction, and I think that’s fantastic—especially in the multihull classes," adds Anne-Claire Le Berre. The skipper of UpWind by MerConcept is also a trailblazer: this is the first time a woman has competed in the Ocean Fifty class at the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. "It’s been a good few years since there were any women in the multihull classes," she notes. Many people are still inspired by Florence Arthaud’s breathtaking victory in 1990 aboard the trimaran Pierre 1er. Since then, only Anne Caseneuve has competed in the Multi50 class (in 2010) before going on to win in the Class Rhum (in 2014).
UpWind by MerConcept and The Famous Project: the driving force
The presence of two women across the two multihull classes is therefore very positive. “It marks a new milestone in the feminization of our sport,” emphasizes Anne-Claire. “Having a female representative in every category allows all the others to say to themselves: ‘Okay everything is possible,” emphasizes Sacha Lanièce (Alderan, Class40). “In the past, it could be intimidating—especially in the multihull category, where people used to think it just wasn’t feasible.” This shift in the multihull landscape owes a great deal to the efforts of key players in offshore racing. By founding ‘UpWind by MerConcept,’ 11th Hour Racing and MerConcept specifically set out to help female sailors gain experience and confidence in multihulls.
“Progress is being made, but there is still work to be done.”
“It’s incredible to see how far this project has come since it began,” says an enthusiastic Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing), who was part of the initiative. A similar approach was taken by Alexia Barrier, who launched ‘The Famous Project’—an all-female crew’s non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, completed earlier this year. “The idea was to give women the chance to sail multihulls, which had long been a male-dominated domain in our world,” Alexia notes.
The Route du Rhum serves as yet another opportunity to demonstrate this
In the monohull fleets, too, a new generation is emerging, with female skippers among the top ranks with well funded, competitive projects. Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner)—winner of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race—along with Violette Dorange (Initiatives Cœur)—who placed 3rd in the Vendée Arctique last June—and Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing)—who finished 2nd in The Ocean Race Atlantic in September—are all determined to be top contenders.
Significantly in recent interviews, these three skippers have spent little time discussing the role of women in offshore racing, preferring instead to focus on their preparation and their... objectives.
Nevertheless, there is still significant progress to be made regarding gender diversity. At the starting line, there will be 11 women—less than 10% of the total number of competitors. "Things are moving forward, but there is still work to be done," acknowledges Anne-Claire Le Berre, who points out, in particular, the absence of female skippers in the 'Vintage Multi' and 'Mono' categories. In the Class40 division—the most well-represented class, with 49 entrants—only six women will be competing.
"We still have a long way to go to provide opportunities for high-level female athletes," notes Alexia. "Furthermore, some female skippers remain in precarious financial situations; they often struggle to earn a living wage." By taking part in the Route du Rhum, these eleven sailors know that they may also inspire the next generation of young women to pursue a career in sailing. Anne-Claire Le Berre concludes: "What matters most is that they have access to every category—that they can truly believe anything is possible
Female Skippers on the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe Alexia Barrier (IDEC Sport-CIC) Anne-Claire Le Berre (Upwind by Merconcept) Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Queguiner) Violette Dorange (Initiatives Cœur) Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) ITA/USA Aina Bauza (Alice Milliat Foundation) ESP Sasha Lanièce (Alderan) Sophie Faguet (Défi Solidaire avec Ellye et L’Arche) Théa Khelif (Women of course) Pamela Lee (#Empowher) IRL Djemila Tassin (Belgium Ocean Racing) BEL