Tom Laperche wins Route du Rhum 2026 Ultim class in record time

Tom Laperche won the Ultim class of the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, the solo transatlantic race from Saint-Malo in Brittany to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. He sailed the giant trimaran SVR-Lazartigue and crossed the finish line early on Sunday 8 November 2026.

His time, a little over six and a half days according to most reports, was a new course record. It beat the mark set in 2018 by François Gabart, a landmark that had stood for two editions. It was also Laperche's first Route du Rhum in the Ultim class, the top category of French ocean racing, which features foil-assisted trimarans more than 30 metres long.

The result mattered because the race is one of the most prestigious events in offshore sailing and is held every four years. Defending champion Charles Caudrelier retired from the race aboard the new Gitana 18. Laperche's win opened the 2026 edition, with the Imoca and Ocean Fifty classes still to finish in the following days.