Route du Rhum 2026 starts from Saint-Malo with the foiling Ultim fleet

The 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, the 13th edition of the famous solo transatlantic race, started from Saint-Malo, in Brittany, on Sunday 1 November 2026. The fleet headed for Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, a course of about 3,542 nautical miles.

The race is held every four years and is open to a wide range of boats, from small Class40 monohulls to the giant Ultim trimarans, the 32-metre multihulls that fly above the water on foils. The Ultim class, sailed solo by some of France's best offshore skippers, drew particular attention, with Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild among the leading names. Reported fleet numbers vary between sources, at around 115 to 118 skippers in total.

The start mattered because it opened a new chapter in the speed race between the Ultims. Since the previous edition in 2022, these boats have grown faster and more reliable, and the 2026 race was seen as a chance to test records over the Atlantic, with the weather on the opening days shaping the early stages.