Route du Rhum: another record falls as the sea's 'fighter jets' go faster

Another record has fallen on the Route du Rhum, and the question is already back: why do the sea's "fighter jets" keep getting faster?

The nickname goes to the Ultim trimarans, the giant multihulls that rise up on foils (underwater wings) and skim above the waves. They race solo across the Atlantic, from Saint-Malo in Brittany to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

This year's edition set off from Saint-Malo on 1 November with the foiling Ultim fleet. The previous edition, in 2022, was won by Thomas Coville on Sodebo Ultim 3, in another headline-grabbing race.

Each edition seems to push the limits a little further. The boats are bigger, lighter and more powerful, and the sailors alone at the helm have to keep up with them.

The race is a fixture of French sailing, and this new record only adds to its legend.