Route du Rhum: the story of the record
Between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre, the Route du Rhum is sailed solo over a theoretical 3,542 miles. The record is set in the fastest class, the Ultim trimarans, and for a long time it only moved by a few minutes.
1978: 98 seconds
The first edition is remembered for its finish: Canadian Mike Birch, on the small trimaran Olympus Photo, beat Michel Malinovsky by 98 seconds after more than 23 days at sea (Wikipedia, 1978 Route du Rhum).
2014 and 2018: a record measured in minutes
In 2014, Loïck Peyron won on Banque Populaire VII in 7 days 15 hours 8 minutes and 32 seconds. Four years later Francis Joyon (IDEC Sport) improved it by 46 minutes and 45 seconds, in 7 days 14 hours 21 minutes and 47 seconds. He won by 7 minutes and 8 seconds from François Gabart, the closest finish in the race's history (franceinfo, in French).
2022: under seven days
In November 2022, Charles Caudrelier made those margins history. On the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a foiling Ultim, he reached Guadeloupe in 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds, more than 18 hours faster than Joyon (Eurosport, in French). It was the first time the race was won in under seven days.
| Edition | Winner | Boat | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Loïck Peyron | Banque Populaire VII | 7 d 15 h 8 min |
| 2018 | Francis Joyon | IDEC Sport | 7 d 14 h 21 min |
| 2022 | Charles Caudrelier | Maxi Edmond de Rothschild | 6 d 19 h 47 min |
Further reading
The 13th edition starts from Saint-Malo on 1 November 2026: our article Route du Rhum 2026: course, classes and the record to beat covers the fleet, and the Route du Rhum page of the globe shows the track. Other starts this year are in the 2026 calendar. Joyon also wrote a chapter of the Jules Verne Trophy record.