- Feb 24
- 3 min read
In 2022, he discovered the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe in an IMOCA. He will return in 2026, but Guirec Soudée is currently focused on one of the most radical challenges in modern ocean racing: he is currently circumnavigating the globe, in reverse, solo, in an Ultim trimaran. With Guirec Soudée, nothing is ever quite as expected. And that is precisely why he naturally finds his place in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.
Going against the grain, literally
A round-the-world voyage “in reverse” is more than just a slogan. It means sailing against the prevailing winds, confronting westerly depressions instead of using them, and dealing with cross seas and more unstable weather. Going against the grain of the routes dictated by global circulation, Guirec Soudée prioritizes challenge and resilience in the face of the elements.
Aboard the Ultim MACSF, a robust trimaran built for high performance, the objective is clear: to add his name to the lineage of skippers who have made sailing against the prevailing winds a field of exploration. The benchmark solo record against the prevailing winds remains that of Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (122 days 14 hours in a monohull). The challenge is immense. It is also perfectly aligned with the Breton skipper's career path.
Guirec Soudée, an adventurer turned runner
Before being a pure product of offshore racing, Guirec Soudée is an adventurer-skipper. His taste for the open sea was forged far from the classic circuits, in challenging voyages, extraordinary projects, and crossings that built an uncommon physical and mental resilience.
What's striking about him isn't just his audacity. It's his luminous determination. He doesn't choose the easy path. He chooses the route that forces him to push his limits. This blend of raw enthusiasm and methodical tenacity has become his signature.
Offshore racing provides him with a framework. He brings to it a dimension of adventure.
Where does it stand?
Alone against the elements, Guirec Soudée is currently in the midst of his round-the-world voyage in reverse. This challenge is not a simple expedition: it's a high-precision undertaking, unfolding mile after mile. Sailing against prevailing winds and currents demands a unique understanding of weather patterns, meticulous management of fatigue, and constant vigilance to protect his Ultim trimaran in often choppy, head-on seas.
Every day spent at sea is a laboratory. It's not a media stunt, but a thorough preparation where every optimized system and every storm weathered enriches his expertise. By confronting the "impossible" today, he reduces the element of uncertainty tomorrow. And while he charts his course against the current, his gaze is already fixed on the horizon of 2026.
2022: Learning about Rum
During the 2022 edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, Guirec Soudée discovered the unique intensity of the solo transatlantic race between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe. A legendary start, demanding weather, a dense fleet, constant pressure.
There he learned the discipline of the pace, how to manage the weather transitions of the Atlantic, and the sometimes unpredictable brutality of the Bay of Biscay. A first participation that laid a solid foundation.
The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is never just a simple crossing. It's a revelation.
2026: Returning with a new world
In 2026, Guirec Soudée will once again be at the starting line in Saint-Malo. This time, with the experience of a Vendée Globe and a round-the-world race against the current in his legs and in his mind.
This return is not anecdotal. It is part of a logical trajectory: to confront adventure with pure performance, to transform extreme experience into strategic efficiency on a benchmark transatlantic race.
The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe has always attracted skippers who dare to dream big. Skippers capable of combining cutting-edge technology, total commitment, and a sense of exploration. Guirec Soudée belongs to this rare category: that of skippers who don't simply follow the route, but question the very meaning of the journey.
To sail against the world, then line up in Saint-Malo facing the Atlantic. There's an almost self-evident logic to it. The Route du Rhum - Destin was born from the dream of great skippers and great adventurers. In 2026, one of them will return with, in his wake, a challenge that will have redefined his own map of what's possible.