Tom Laperche (29, SVR Lazartigue) in the Ultim class, Basile Bourgnon (24, Edenred) in the Ocean Fifty, Violette Dorange (25, Initiatives Cœur) in the IMOCA, Guillaume Pirouelle (31, Sogestran Seafrigo) in the Class40, and Titouan Pilliard (20, Use it Again for Youth) in the Vintage Mono class… Sailors under thirty and in their thirties will be out in force on the starting line of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. And they are legion, all eager to play leading roles!
When discussing the Ocean Fifty fleet, Thibault Vauchel-Camus (47, Solidaires en peloton by Delanchy) always has a way with words: "It's certain we'll have to work hard against all these fiery youngsters who aren't afraid of anything!" Especially since the youngest sailors in the Ocean Fifty, who are contenders for victory or top finishes, already have impressive credentials. Basile Bourgnon (24, Edenred) has already distinguished himself in the Mini and Figaro classes (2nd in La Solitaire du Figaro in 2023), Erwan Le Draoulec (29, Lazare) won the Mini-Transat in 2017, Baptiste Hulin (29, Viabilis) took 2nd place in the Route des Terres Neuvas, and Pierre Quiroga (32, Wewise) won La Solitaire du Figaro in 2021.
The youngest member of the group, Léonard Legrand (32 years old, Sodebo), who joined the class this year, is part of the world record-holding crew for the round-the-world voyage (Jules Verne Trophy, Sodebo)! "It's fantastic to see the desire to do well among these young sailors who honed their skills in other classes before arriving in the Ocean Fifty," says Basile Bourgnon. "Thanks to this, the level has risen and the competition has never been so fierce!"
Laperche and Pirouelle, young and favorites
Like the Ocean Fifty, a breath of fresh air and youth is blowing through the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. Certainly, some very experienced skippers are aiming for more than just a passing chance. In the Vintage Multi class, Francis Joyon (70 years old, Oceans) and Charlie Capelle (71 years old, Acapella - Proludic - La Chaîne de l'Espoir, Vintage Multi) aren't just there to make up the numbers, just like Jean Le Cam (67 years old, Alegria, Vintage Mono) and Gilles Colubi (66 years old, SNSM Guilvinec) in the Vintage Mono class. When his age is mentioned, Francis Joyon finds it amusing: "We have nothing left to prove; all we have left is our passion, and we've never run out of it!"
Facing them on the starting line will be numerous sailors in their thirties, most with high ambitions. In the Ultim class, the premier category, observers often forget that Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue), who will be competing in his first Route du Rhum, is only 29. But his composure, his solid experience aboard the Ultim – he has been part of the team since 2023 – and his track record (winner of the Fastnet Race and the Transat Café L'Or in 2025) speak in his favor. As a reminder, his rivals are almost all more than 20 years apart in age, like Armel Le Cléac'h (49, Maxi Banque Populaire XI), Charles Caudrelier (52, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild), and Thomas Coville (58, Sodebo Ultim 3).
A young skipper taking the reins is also a possibility in the Class40 class. One of the top contenders, Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran Seafrigo), is only 31 years old. Here again, his age seems to matter little, given his impressive track record, having already won the Rolex Fastnet Race (in IRC, 2021) and finished second in the Solitaire du Figaro (2022). Most importantly, he has dominated the Class40 rankings for the past two seasons, having won the 40 Malouine, the Transat Café L'Or (2025), and then the Trin'40 and the CIC Normandy Channel Race (2026). In this class, the most represented in the race (49 competitors), five skippers under thirty years old will also be at the start: Timothé Polet (26 years old, Team Zeiss), Matéo Le Calvic (26 years old), Pep Costa (27 years old, VSF Sport), Théa Khelif (27 years old, Women of course) and Matteo Sericano (28 years old, Lucente).
Among IMOCA boats, the battalion of thirty-somethings
In the IMOCA class, too, a generational shift is underway. And among the 60-foot monohulls, many young sailors are poised to challenge at the front of the pack. All eyes are naturally on Violette Dorange (25 years old), who has reached a new milestone aboard Initiatives-Cœur. Having finished on the podium in the two races at the start of the season (3rd in the 1000 Race and the Vendée Arctique), she hasn't forgotten that she came to the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe four years ago, searching for partners for her project. "It's true that a lot has happened since then," she smiles. Now, the sailor has matured considerably, and she's at the helm of a reliable foiler that can compete for the top spots.
Alongside her, several thirty-somethings share the same ambitions. Élodie Bonafous (30 years old, Association Petits Princes - Quéguiner) is one of them, who likes to remind everyone that "sailing an IMOCA was my dream." The skipper only launched her boat in February 2025 and has already proven her talent, sailing aboard a sistership of Macif. A little older but just as talented, Ambrogio Beccaria (34 years old, Allagrande Mapei), recent winner of the Vendée Arctique, is also part of this generation, as are Sébastien Simon (36 years old, Groupe Dubreuil – Air Caraïbes), runner-up in the last Vendée Globe, Corentin Horeau (37 years old, MACSF), and Francesca Clapcich (38 years old, 11th Hour Racing).
Titouan Pilliard, 20 years old, sets out to conquer the Atlantic
For other young skippers, the main focus is elsewhere: reaching the finish line and participating in this great adventure. This is the case in the Vintage Mono class for Kieran Le Borgne (28 years old, Aito) and Titouan Pilliard (20 years old, Use it Again for Youth). Both have boats that have already proven themselves. Kieran is indeed setting off aboard the former PRB, the only IMOCA to have won the Vendée Globe twice (in 2001 and 2005), while Titouan has taken the helm of a Finot-Conq design with which Sidney Gavignet won the Rhum Mono in 2018. Titouan's presence on the starting line is an example of precocity and a victory in itself: he is the youngest skipper in this edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.