IMOCA class: time for renewal

The 60-foot fleet will offer a fierce battle in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. On the starting line? The defending champion (Thomas Ruyant), the winner of the last transatlantic race (Jérémie Beyou, Charal), and the most prominent IMOCA skipper of the moment, Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance). They will have to contend with emerging figures in the class, including Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner), Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei), Violette Dorange (Initiatives-Coeur), Corentin Horeau (MACSF), and Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing). Like several rookies, they contribute to the internationalization and diversity of the class, as well as a significant renewal of talent. It promises to be exciting!

A list of giants. In the IMOCA class, the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe is a benchmark. It's a testament to the teams' ability to constantly improve their boats, making them more efficient and more resilient to all conditions. This observation is compounded by another: some of the biggest names have joined the very exclusive circle of winners. Among the straight-keeled boats, there was the young Thomas Coville (1998), the incredible Ellen MacArthur (2002), the only two-time IMOCA winner, Roland Jourdain (2006 and 2010), and then François Gabart (2014). It was aboard the same boat – Macif having become SMA – that Paul Meilhat triumphed in 2018. An incredible victory, especially considering that Alex Thomson, who had been leading the race, failed to recover and ran aground on the Guadeloupean coast. This remains the last time a non-foiler boat has won. Four years ago, the foilers were already dominant, and the battle for victory proved it. A clash of titans where the podium was decided between Thomas Ruyant, the late Charlie Dalin, and Jérémie Beyou in just five hours!

Some favorites and many outsiders

This look back confirms one thing: in the grand history of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, the IMOCA boats have played a significant role, with twists and turns, suspense, and a fierce battle across the Atlantic Ocean. The upcoming edition promises to be no exception. Among the favorites, Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Jérémie Beyou (Charal) are considered frontrunners. Having recently become Franco-British, Sam distinguished himself by winning the Course des Caps last year, the 1000 Race, and he just finished second in the Vendée Arctique. Jérémie, winner of the Transat Café L'Or, has undertaken a major refit of his boat, replacing the entire hull.

The two men will have to contend with a large number of outsiders. Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei), the narrow winner of the Vendée Arctique, is among them. The Italian has Thomas Ruyant's former Vulnérable at his disposal, the boat having been assisted by Ruyant throughout last year in getting to grips with it. Alongside him, Violette Dorange (Initiatives-Cœur) and Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes - Quéguiner), who finished 3rd and 4th respectively in the Vendée Arctique, will be key contenders, as will Corentin Horeau (MACSF) aboard Yoann Richomme's former Paprec Arkéa. Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) is also continuing her upward trajectory, having finished 2nd in last year's Transat Café L'Or.

Ruyant and Simon, highly anticipated returns

A new era is dawning, both in terms of the faces and the boats themselves. The Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe marks the beginning of a new cycle with the arrival of two new boats, those of Thomas Ruyant and Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil). Like the other teams involved in building a new boat, they share a single objective: to improve performance at certain points of sail. Following the spectacular progress made with foils, the challenge now lies in maintaining foiling speed for as long as possible, by taking off more quickly and preserving those foiling phases in moderate wind conditions. Furthermore, design offices and naval architects have focused on ergonomics in the living areas and maximizing the skipper's efficiency by minimizing movement on board. A major challenge, especially in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, which resembles an ocean sprint where the conditions are particularly demanding both physically and mentally.

All these aspects were the subject of intense work before the emergence of the new generation. While other IMOCAs are still under construction, Thomas Ruyant and Sébastien Simon will act as trendsetters during this edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Ruyant, from northern France, who has just launched his new monohull and is seeking sponsors, boasts one of the most impressive track records in the class, with two victories in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2021, 2023) and the current title holder in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. For his part, Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) has embarked on the construction of an IMOCA for the first time with his team. Third in the Vendée Globe two years ago, this fierce competitor will do everything he can to be in the mix for the top spots.

Many first-year students ready to dive into the deep end

Several Route du Rhum and IMOCA race veterans will also be on the starting line. These include Fabrice Amedeo (Team FDJ United Wewise), Arnaud Boissières (April Marine – seeking a co-sponsor), Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce), Oliver Heer (Embrace the Challenge), and Sébastien Marsset (Foussier), all of whom participated four years ago. Armel Tripon (Les P'tits Doudous) will also be present, having a long history with the race. He first experienced it in the IMOCA class (finishing 4th in 2014), won in the Multi50 class (2018), and finished 5th in 2022.

Meanwhile, several skippers will be competing in their first solo transatlantic race aboard an IMOCA. Davy Beaudart has taken over Louis Burton's IMOCA (Bureau Vallée), while Pierre-Louis Attwell (Resilient), Nicolas d'Estais (Café Joyeux), and Maël Garnier (DeVenir) will be setting sail on boats with straight daggerboards. Finally, it's worth noting that this will also be a first for two skippers who have honed their skills in the class over the past few years: Canadian Scott Shawyer (Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive) and Japanese Masa Suzuki (Milai 22).