No doubt victory in the Route du Rhum

Held every four years, the 2026 Route du Rhum with 115 entrants is the biggest solo transatlantic race. But among the six divisions, it is the 100-foot Ultim and 60-foot IMOCA fleets that compete for the spotlight along the 3,542 nm course from France to Guadeloupe.

The 13th edition has been very fast, with a speed record first set by Tom Laperche in the Ultim division and now also in the IMOCA as top teams use the crossing as a stepping stone toward the 2028 Vendée Globe solo around the world race.

Starting as an underdog, the 37-year-old French skipper Corentin Horeau sailed the former Paprec Arkéa , which he took the helm of just this year under MACSF’s sponsorship, and was able to quickly capitalize on an early break which he turned into a substantial margin by the finish line.

“Ambrogio (Beccaria) and Sam (Goodchild) were slightly ahead of me,” Hareau explained. “They made the decision to gybe right in front of me—I didn’t quite understand why. I went back to my computer and told myself, ‘I want to cross this front as quickly as I can.’ At one point, I saw them on the AIS, and after that, I never saw them again. I’m not sure if it was a gamble; I don’t feel like I took any greater risk than usual. It’s as if something was watching over me. Now, it’s time to savor it!”

Horeau beat the previous record by over two days (2022, Thomas Ruyant, 11:17:36:25) when he arrived with an elapsed time of 09:17:12:09, finishing nearly 27 hours ahead of second place Boris Herrmann in his new IMOCA.

A winner of the legendary French multi stage one design offshore race, La Solitaire du Figaro, in the summer of 2023, Horeau’s long years in the Figaro class were followed by a five-year hiatus during which he broadened his horizons, sailing everything from giant Ultims on round the world challenges to small one design sports trimarans.

Selected by MACSF to their program aiming at the 2028 Vendée Globe, he wins this globally renowned solo race at his first attempt on the boat which Yoann Richomme took to second place in the last Vendée Globe.

After Goodchild and Beccaria both made a move to the north seeking a shorter passage through a zone of light winds, his direct, straight course was decisive. He was then able to chain together multiple fast gybes down a narrow corridor of stronger breeze which allowed him a massive lead, over 300 miles, over his pursuers at one point.

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Held every four years, the Route du Rhum is the biggest solo transatlantic race, with the 2026 edition attracting 115 entrants in six divisions – Ultim, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, Class40, Vintage Multi, and Vintage Mono. Starting on November 1, the 3,542 nm course extends from Saint-Malo in France to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe.