What is the Route du Rhum?

The Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race connects Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre over a theoretical distance of approximately 3,542 nautical miles (6,559 km), entirely solo. Competitors first cross the western English Channel, then round the tip of Brittany via the Ushant Traffic Separation Scheme, before entering the Bay of Biscay, an area renowned for its rapid depressions, rough seas, and powerful winds. The subsequent descent of the Atlantic takes place off the European coast to avoid coastal effects and fishing grounds.

The positioning of the Azores High is the major strategic element of the race: depending on its location, the skippers choose a more or less westerly route to avoid calms or headwinds. Once past its southern edge, the fleet enters the northeast trade wind regime, relatively stable downwind conditions allowing for high speeds but accompanied by a sustained swell and tropical squalls.

Approaching the Lesser Antilles presents the final technical challenge: accelerations under the terrain, wind shadows, local currents, and inter-island traffic complicate navigation. The obligatory detour around Guadeloupe to the north necessitates a tactical maneuver before descending to the bay of Pointe-à-Pitre, where the finish line is marked after a crossing that demands mastery of weather patterns, endurance, and pure performance across the entire North Atlantic.