Updated: 17 hours ago
Moored in the basins of Saint-Malo since the beginning of the week, the 116 solo skippers are now fully immersed in the latest edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. By and large the main preparations are complete and it should only be the small details which will need to dealt which in the final countdown to the start on Sunday 1st November at 1302hrs. The final races held this summer and early autumn have delivered valuable lessons and insights, many skippers will inevitably head into the race with more confidence than others.
Ultim: A confidence boost for Laperche, 2024 champion Caudrelier is the unknown
Among the Ultim class, technical teams have been working tirelessly in recent months to ensure maximum reliability for their maxi-trimarans, every team has implemented major technical modifications. Actual Ultim 4 (Anthony Marchand) has been fitted with a new mast, Maxi Banque Populaire XI (Armel Le Cléac’h) has had a new daggerboard, and Sodebo Ultim 3 has been equipped with a new set of foils. On SVR-Lazartigue (Tom Laperche), new foils and rudders were installed.
However, during a training session in mid-September, a collision damaged the starboard appendages on Tom Laperche’s boat, forcing the team to reinstall the previous starboard foil. "I’d rather have this bit of bad luck before the Route du Rhum," says Tom. The skipper remains reassuring: "It has no impact on performance. If anything, it just proves our ability to carry out a quick replacement and stay competitive." He demonstrated this just a few days later by winning the 24 Heures Ultim, as Tom had the previous year. He finished ahead of Armel Le Cléac’h by a mere 11 minutes and 29 seconds, followed by Anthony Marchand and Thomas Coville.
But the big question is what about the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 18), one of the main talking points of this Route du Rhum? Since its launch eight months ago, Charles Caudrelier has not yet taken the chance to properly test his boat against his competitors. In early September, however, he completed his solo qualification, a round trip to the north of Ireland that took over 48 hours. At Gitana, the mood remains one of caution. "It’s still a gamble and a major challenge, as no one has ever managed to develop a boat like this in such a short time," Charles explained to the media recently. He readily admits: "During the last edition [which he won], I said that I might be the weak link. Today, it’s the opposite—I have the experience, but the boat still lacks miles at sea."
Ocean Fifty: Does Basile Bourgnon have the edge?
In the Ocean Fifty class—where life is almost always about living on the edge —making predictions is always a tricky business. "There are so many variables to master that it’s almost impossible to forecast the outcome in this class," notes Anne-Claire Le Berre (Upwind by Merconcept), the first woman to compete in the Ocean Fifty category. Even so, "if there had to be a favorite, it would be Basile Bourgnon (Edenred)," asserts Erwan Le Draoulec (Lazare). Bourgnon who is just 24 has enjoyed an outstanding end to his preparation period: he won the 24 Heures Ultim for the second consecutive time and also took victory in the Dhream Cup back in July.
"I’m lucky to have a great team, and our preparation has gone well," Basile remarked last September. "But I know that’s no guarantee of what will happen during the race itself." Having led the Transat Café L’Or for a long stretch alongside co-skipper Emmanuel Le Roch, Basile ultimately dropped back due to a failure in his steering linkage. "I’m heading into the Route du Rhum with a burning hunger to win," he said upon finishing. However, the competition promises to be fierce, with the experienced Thibault Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton by Delanchy) facing off against a new wave of talent, including Pierre Quiroga (Wewise), Baptiste Hulin (Viabilis Oceans), and Léonard Legrand (*Sodebo*). It’s shaping up to be a high octane battle!
IMOCA: Is Franco-Brit Sam Goodchild truly untouchable
On one hand, there’s a stellar track record: since joining Macif in 2025, Sam Goodchild has never finished lower than third place. But he has yet to finish the Route du Rhum. He won the 1000 Race last spring and has claimed victory twice at the Défi Azimut. On the other hand, the now Franco-British sailor was beaten in his most recent transatlantic outing (finishing 3rd in the Transat Café L’Or) and, more recently, in the Vendée Arctique (finishing 2nd). "I’m proud to be labelled a favorite, but I also know that doesn’t mean anything," he points out. There is still a race to be run, and as we all know, a great deal can happen between the start and the finish line.”
Among the dark horses, some benefit from boats that have already been proven reliable—such as Italy’s Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei), winner of the Vendée Arctique, Italian American Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) runner-up on the Transat Café Lor with Will Harris, and Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner), winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
And there’s more... Some have launched their new boats this year the most recent being Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil - Air Caraïbes) and Boris Herrmann (Malizia 4) who looked very strong during The Ocean Race Atlantic last month. Another skipper to watch is Jérémie Beyou. The Breton sailor will be competing in his final race under the Charal sponsorship, aboard a proven IMOCA which has undergone a complete bow redesign following an unprecedented refit project. "Sam might be a notch above the rest," says Beyou, "but with an open course, numerous strategic options, many variables, and a great deal of the unknown, the Route du Rhum remains wide open."
Class40: Douguet, Pirouelle, and a host of outsiders
In the Class40 category, two names are quoted most when it comes to making predictions: Corentin Douguet (SNSM, Faites un don!) and Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestra Seafrigo). "They have excellent boats, they are superb sailors, and lately, they’ve been winning everything," summarizes Axel Tréhin. Douguet has claimed victory in the CIC Normandy Channel Race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, and, more recently, the Dhream Cup. Guillaume, meanwhile, has won the Transat Café L’Or, the Trin’40, and the most recent edition of the CIC Normandy Channel Race.
Beyond this duo, there are pobably a dozen others capable of battling at the front of the fleet. Alexis Loison (Groupe Réel)—a recent winner of the 40 Malouine—along with Spain's Pep Costa (VSF Sports, runner-up in the Normandy Channel Race) and Fabien Delahaye (Legallais, who finished 3rd in the Trin’40), are all poised to strike. The list also includes Quentin Le Nabour (Bleu Blanc Planète Location), Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel), and the duo of Axel Tréhin and Achille Nebout (Amarris). "It’s going to be quite a battle, and I really like that," Alexis Loison explained recently. "The standard in this class is very high. In short, there’s both quantity and quality!"
Vintage Multis: The ORMAs and the rest of the field
They’re back! The ORMAs—those exceptionally spectacular trimarans that enjoyed their golden age during the Route du Rhum between 1994 and 1998—will once again be at the starting line. Four of them are competing: Francis Joyon (Océans), Damien Seguin (Arkéa-Handicap International), Éric Péron (French Touch Oceans Club), and Gilles Lamiré (Groupe GCA). Like the Ocean Fifty trimarans, they could all potentially finish in under ten days. Each of these four has his own strengths: Éric Péron has the newest boat (24 years old), Francis Joyon brings the experience of a previous victory (2018), and Damien Seguin has proven his mettle, as evidenced by his recent win at the Dhream Cup. We must also mention Romain Pillard (Use it Again), who is at the helm of a 33-meter giant—the former Kingfisher of Ellen MacArthur. "If the conditions aren't favorable for the ORMAs, he could well benefit," notes Éric Péron.
In addition to the ORMAs, ten other skippers will set off in smaller vessels. "As for us, we know it will take us at least 21 days," points out Charlie Capelle (Acapella – Proludic - La Chaîne de l’Espoir). Having won the Atlantique Télégramme, Charlie will face stiff competition from Christophe Bogrand (Des enfants et des arbres) and Laurent Etheimer (Fifty fifty)—a dynamic that has persisted throughout the season. "It’s going to be a real battle from start to finish," says an enthusiastic Charlie Capelle.
Vintage Mono: The Great Unknown
Thirteen entrants in this category will vie for victory. Unlike those in other classes, these competitors have not faced one another in recent months. "There are some great boats with skippers I don’t know, and some great skippers with boats I’m unfamiliar with," laughs Kieran Le Borgne. According to Sydney Gavignet (Le Cigare rouge), "there is one clear favorite: Patrick Isoard (Groupe Cogedis pour enfants du Mékong), who notably won The Transat CIC in 2024. He’s highly experienced, knows his boat inside out, and has the best preparation."
Tanguy Caradec (Eurvad), Wilfrid Clerton (Echo-Mer), Kieran Le Borgne—who is sailing a boat that won the Vendée Globe twice (Armor Lux – Le Finistère Assurance)—and Sydney Gavignet will also be strong contenders. While Jean Le Cam’s Swan 59 (Alegria) may be less fast, his experience and talent could well keep him in the hunt.
In total, 116 sailors will set off on this latest edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.