Tom Laperche has won the 13th Route du Rhum on his first attempt, crossing the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre at 10:31pm local time on Saturday aboard the Ultim SVR-Lazartigue in an official time of 6 days 13 hours 27 minutes 40 seconds, more than six hours inside Charles Caudrelier’s 2022 race record.
The 29-year-old’s time includes a 1 hour 2 minute credit from race management. On Wednesday Laperche, then leading, was told to divert towards Armel Le Cléac’h after the Maxi Banque Populaire XI capsized about 550 miles north-west of the Azores while second in the Ultim class. Le Cléac’h sheltered inside the upturned hull and was picked up by a cargo ship that afternoon in good health.
The race lost several of its leading names in its first week. Francis Joyon, the 2018 winner, capsized his trimaran Oceans in the Celtic Sea on Monday and was rescued by the cargo ship Maersk Columbus after about eight hours on the hull. On Tuesday Caudrelier retired with damage to the port foil of his new Gitana 18 in its first major race, and Jérémie Beyou withdrew from second place in the IMOCA fleet for medical reasons. Anthony Marchand retired after Actual Ultim 4 hit a floating object at 40 knots, and Ambrogio Beccaria left the IMOCA race after injuring his back in a fall in the cockpit.
Laperche took a more northerly route than his rivals and found stronger winds. Franck Cammas, the team’s performance director, said the team managed risk much more carefully after Le Cléac’h’s capsize. Thomas Coville finished second on Sunday, about 15 hours behind, and Louis Burton completed the Ultim podium less than two hours later.
Route du Rhum 2026, Pointe-à-Pitre. Photo: Loïc Venance / AFP
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