The Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe unveils its 2026 edition

It is the most legendary of solo ocean races, the one that, every four years, makes the hearts of a corsair city, a Caribbean-colored territory, millions of spectators, and the greatest sailors beat faster. In 2026, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe will celebrate its 48th anniversary. A maturity that makes the event that has united Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre since 1978, more than ever, undoubtedly the finest and most demanding of solo races. This Friday, April 25, a year and a half before the 13th edition, OC Sport Pen Duick, the race's organizing company, set the tone for the next edition on the docks of Saint-Malo, in the presence of the event's major partners - the Guadeloupe region, the city of Saint-Malo, and the Brittany region - and Charles Caudrelier, the defending champion aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

Sublime, intense, sunny, technical, committed, overwhelming since 1978, such is the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. The famous solo transatlantic race has continued to write its history on a course free of any markings between Brittany and the Antilles, bringing together on the same starting line all types of boats without size limits.

The 2022 edition was a record-breaking one! 138 sailors at the start, 6 winners (Charles Caudrelier - Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, in Ultim 32/23, Erwan Le Roux - Koesio, in Ocean Fifty, Thomas Ruyant - LinkedOut, in IMOCA, Yoann Richomme - Paprec Arkéa, in Class40, Loïc Escoffier - Lodigroup, in Rhum Multi then Jean-Pierre Dick - Notre Méditerranée - Ville de Nice, in Rhum Mono), a reference time falling below the symbolic 7-day mark (6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds) between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre for the first in Guadeloupe, Charles Caudrelier. The sporting aspect had set the clocks racing and made an impression. What can be said about the popular fervor encountered in Saint-Malo in a departure village covering an area of 70,000 m2, installed for thirteen days on the quays. A space whose ergonomics and circulation had been completely revised compared to the previous edition, promoting the festive and exceptional dimension in particular by offering stands and giant screens to allow the general public to celebrate the passage of the competitors through the locks. 1.5 million visitors came to taste the magic of Rum, in Saint-Malo, in 2022.

“More intense, more festive and even more rooted in the region” Joseph Bizard, Director of OC Sport

With eighteen months to go until the next edition, OC Sport Pen Duick, the organizer of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, and all the race's stakeholders are relaunching the "dream machine." "The 2026 Rhum will be more intense, more festive, and even more deeply rooted in the region," announces Joseph Bizard, Managing Director of OC Sport. "This race is an iconic ocean event, a true legend. For sailors, it is the transatlantic race of freedom. From a sporting perspective, it is the Atlantic sprint like no other. For the general public, it is certainly the popular event most deeply rooted in both memory and heart. For everyone, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is a celebration that provides everyone with visceral and collective emotions. 2026 will pay tribute to everything that makes Rhum a centerpiece of our heritage."

A visual identity inspired by an iconic current for a nautical launch

To honor the chapter that will open in the fall of 2026, the organizers took advantage of the Saint-Malo Boat Show to unveil the poster for the 2026 edition. A nod to the sailors who will line up at the start in a year and a half, the visual, designed by the Luciole agency, unveiled its lines on the sail of a racing trimaran. Coming to life in a bold graphic style, inspired by the iconic Bauhaus movement, revealing an emblematic style, a striking design and a vibrant palette, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2026 poster embodies all the history and modernity of the race.

The partners' crew is growing stronger

While this launch of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2026 allows us to raise the colors of a new visual, it is also an opportunity for certain partners to renew their support for the race. Official Partner since 2017 and exclusive licensee, Armor-lux, a flagship of the French textile industry, is continuing its collaboration with the organizer. "We are very happy to extend our partnership with OC Sport Pen Duick until the 2030 edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. It is a great pride for all our employees in Quimper who will continue for four more years to promote the image of "Rhum" through our collections of authentic and responsible clothing and our Armor-lux and Bermudes brands," says Yannick Le Floch, Managing Director of Armor-lux. For its part, Corsair is renewing its commitment for the second consecutive edition as the Official Air Carrier of the organization, the sailors and their teams. The French long-haul scheduled airline is a major player in the links between France and Guadeloupe. “Supporting the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2026 is much more than a partnership for Corsair. It is a strong way to affirm our attachment to Guadeloupe and, more broadly, to the overseas territories we serve throughout the year. Thanks to our new, latest-generation fleet of Airbus A330neos, we are able to provide efficient and responsible air transport, perfectly consistent with our role as a major player between France and the overseas regions. Through this emblematic event, we are helping to promote an entire territory,” says Pascal de Izaguirre, Chairman and CEO of Corsair.

This first act of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2026 could only be written in Saint-Malo, in the presence of those who have always loved and supported it. The next eagerly awaited event, the publication of the Notice of Race, will kick off the sporting chapter of the finest solo ocean race.

They said:

Ary Chalus, President of the Guadeloupe Regional Council: “The Guadeloupe Region, proud of its maritime roots, is ambitiously hosting this major race. This poster is a powerful symbol of this: it reflects our determination to promote the sport, showcase our region and strengthen our position as a leading destination in the nautical sector.”

Gilles Lurton, Mayor of Saint-Malo and President of Saint-Malo Agglomeration : "In less than 18 months, the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe will set off from the Bay of Saint-Malo towards the Bay of Pointe-à-Pitre. It is always a joyful event that enchants our city and contributes to its reputation. What better way to unveil this poster than at a seaside Boat Show, here in Saint-Malo,? The city of Saint-Malo will be a key partner of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. In 2026, we will bring a little something extra to accompany the arrival in Guadeloupe with our traditions from Saint-Malo and Brittany. Long live the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2026."

Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany Regional Council: "The Brittany Region is pleased to contribute, with its concessionaires Edeis and Bretagne Plaisance, to hosting this emblematic event in the regional port of Saint-Malo. The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe carries values that are dear to it, of solidarity, mutual aid, surpassing oneself, technical and sporting performance but also new challenges of sustainability, equal access and inclusiveness which will be markers of this new edition."

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