French skipper Tom Laperche has claimed a commanding victory in the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, setting a new race record aboard SVR-Lazartigue, with Thomas Coville and Louis Burton completing an all-French Ultim podium.
Laperche delivered an impressive performance on his first attempt at the classic solo transatlantic race, leading almost from the start and maintaining his advantage throughout the 3,542-nautical-mile course from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
The young French skipper completed the crossing in 6 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 40 seconds, setting a new record for the race, which has been held every four years since its inaugural edition in 1978.
Thomas Coville finished second aboard Sodebo Ultim 3, while Louis Burton secured third place on Ultim Armand Thiery in his first transatlantic race in the Ultim class.
Laperche leads from start to finish
Laperche’s victory was built on an exceptional opening to the race.
Sailing the giant blue Ultim trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, he took the lead at Cap Fréhel, just 16 nautical miles after the start off Saint-Malo, and never relinquished it.
His performance was all the more remarkable given the demanding conditions and events that unfolded during the crossing.
The young skipper was shaken by the capsize of his closest rival, Armel Le Cléac’h, aboard Banque Populaire XI. Le Cléac’h was subsequently rescued, but the incident underlined the risks involved in racing these powerful offshore multihulls single-handed.
Laperche maintained his concentration and continued towards Guadeloupe, negotiating a significant tropical storm during the final stages of his passage.
The victory fulfils a childhood ambition and places him among the select group of sailors to have won the Route du Rhum since the race began in 1978.
He is also the youngest winner since the late Swiss sailor Laurent Bourgnon, who claimed the first of his two consecutive victories at the age of 28 in 1994.
The result adds another major success to Laperche’s growing offshore racing record. In 2025, he won the double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre to Martinique aboard SVR-Lazartigue alongside Franck Cammas.
Coville overcomes damage to take second
Veteran French skipper Thomas Coville secured second place aboard Sodebo Ultim 3, completing the crossing in 7 days, 4 hours, 40 minutes and 5 seconds, 15 hours, 12 minutes and 25 seconds behind Laperche.
The result was another demonstration of Coville’s experience and resilience, particularly after equipment damage affected his performance during the crossing.
Coville revealed that he had lost his large gennaker and suffered damage to both foils, one after the other.
Despite those setbacks, he maintained his position among the leading Ultims and brought Sodebo Ultim 3 home in second place.
At 58, Coville was competing in his eighth consecutive Route du Rhum, adding a sixth podium finish to his record in the event.
His latest result comes just months after setting a new fully crewed round-the-world record for the Trophée Jules Verne, completing the circumnavigation in 40 days and 10 hours.
Burton makes impressive Ultim debut
Louis Burton completed the podium aboard Ultim Armand Thiery, finishing just 1 hour, 48 minutes and 37 seconds behind Coville.
The 41-year-old skipper from Saint-Malo recorded an elapsed time of 7 days, 6 hours, 28 minutes and 42 seconds, finishing 17 hours and 1 minute behind race winner Laperche.
Burton’s third place was a significant achievement in his first transatlantic race aboard an Ultim trimaran.
He only began sailing Armand Thiery earlier in the 2026 season, leaving relatively little time to familiarise himself with the demands of racing one of these giant multihulls alone across the Atlantic.
Already an accomplished solo ocean racer, Burton finished third in the 2020–21 Vendée Globe.
His Route du Rhum podium demonstrates his ability to adapt quickly to the Ultim class and provides a promising foundation for future campaigns.
Route du Rhum 2026 – Ultim podium
| Position | Skipper | Yacht | Elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tom Laperche | SVR-Lazartigue | 6d 13h 27m 40s |
| 2nd | Thomas Coville | Sodebo Ultim 3 | 7d 4h 40m 05s |
| 3rd | Louis Burton | Ultim Armand Thiery | 7d 6h 28m 42s |
The first three finishers were separated by just over 17 hours after more than 3,500 nautical miles of solo ocean racing.
For Laperche, the victory marks a major milestone in his offshore career. For Coville, it adds another podium to an extraordinary record of ocean racing, while Burton’s performance signals a promising arrival in the Ultim class.
Together, their results highlight the depth of French solo offshore racing talent and the remarkable performance of the giant multihulls competing in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.
#RouteDuRhum2026 #RouteDuRhum #TomLaperche #UltimClass #OffshoreSailing #SoloSailing
More Offshore Sailing stories: Click here
