Tom Laperche has won the 2026 Route du Rhum in the Ultim class, aboard the SVR-Lazartigue trimaran. On his first appearance in this solo transatlantic race, the 29-year-old sailor completed the crossing in 6 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 40 seconds. The organiser has announced a new race record, improved by 6 hours, 19 minutes and 45 seconds.
Speed, however, does not sum up the challenge of the final hours. In an interview published by franceinfo after his arrival, Laperche reflects both on the need to remain vigilant until the finish line and on the preparations made with his team. The performance brings these two dimensions together: a sailor alone on board, and a project built by many.
An arrival in the Guadeloupe night
The official announcement puts the crossing of the finish line at 8 November 2026 at 02:31:40 UTC. In Guadeloupe, it was still 22:31:40 on Saturday 7 November. The Sunday morning date in Universal Time and the Saturday evening date in Pointe-à-Pitre therefore refer to the same moment.
SVR-Lazartigue competes among the Ultims, the race’s large multihulls. Laperche wins this class and sets the new crossing benchmark. The other classes have their own standings: this crossing record does not combine them with the Ultim result.
The organiser says the skipper led the race from start to finish. His time is more than six hours faster than the previous benchmark, set by Charles Caudrelier in 2022. This benchmark measures the speed from one edition to another; sailing conditions and the course of each race remain specific to the crossing in question.
Staying sharp until the finish line
As Guadeloupe draws closer, the lead no longer means simply keeping an eye on the other competitors. The race still has to be completed without error, in an area where manoeuvres, squalls and islands demand attention. Franceinfo also reports that he passed near fish aggregation devices in the final stage.
Laperche describes the need to remain fully alert despite a lack of sleep. Managing rest is part of handling the boat: the crossing is not over when victory seems likely, but when the finish line is crossed. In the final miles, the sailor must therefore retain the ability to make decisions as fatigue builds.
His interview also mentions the shock of hearing at sea that Armel Le Cléac’h had capsized. Laperche says the news deeply affected him. This reaction is a reminder of how close the risk is for competitors, including the one leading the fleet. It does not allow the circumstances of the other skipper’s accident to be reconstructed; that is a separate subject.
The solo sailor and the team ashore
In his account on arrival, Laperche emphasises the work of the SVR-Lazartigue technicians. He describes their preparation efforts and the nights spent bringing the trimaran to its full potential. Sailing solo means having a single sailor on board; it does not mean that he alone is responsible for designing and preparing the project.
The skipper was also reunited with his family, including his younger brother Mathieu. He highlights the trust his parents placed in him, supporting him while allowing him to make his own choices. These words give the arrival another dimension: the record is public and quantified, but stepping onto the pontoon also marks a reunion after several days at sea.
This collective effort takes nothing away from the sailor’s responsibility during the race. It helps explain what comes before and surrounds it. The boat has to be prepared, its capabilities understood, and decisions on board made with sufficient clarity to turn the preparation into a result. Laperche credits his trust in the technical team with a significant part of his success.
A first appearance that sets a new benchmark
The sailor grew up watching footage of arrivals in Guadeloupe. He describes this victory as a “childhood dream”, according to franceinfo. Finishing his first Route du Rhum as the winner, with a record to his name, gives this long-held ambition a very tangible form.
For years to come, the figure will stand: 6 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 40 seconds. But Laperche’s account reminds us what lies behind such a precise time: handling the boat, managing fatigue, staying focused and seeing through the work begun before the start. The time goes into the record books; the vigilance required in the final moments explains why a race that is already well under way still has to be finished.
References
- Route du Rhum, official announcement of the victory and record
- franceinfo, Tom Laperche’s first reaction
- franceinfo, interview on vigilance and teamwork
SVR-Lazartigue approaching Brest in 2024. Archive photograph, separate from the 2026 Route du Rhum finish.
Credit: Claude PERON — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.
