Route du Rhum 2026: the Ultims and their skippers
Ultims are the largest and fastest offshore racing boats: trimarans up to 32 metres long and 23 metres wide that fly on their foils on the open ocean. In the Route du Rhum they race for line honours and the course record. As of 12 October 2026, 8 Ultims are on the official skipper list.
The skippers
| Skipper | Boat | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Alexia Barrier | IDEC Sport - CIC | France |
| Louis Burton | Ultim Armand Thiery | France |
| Charles Caudrelier | Maxi Edmond de Rothschild | France |
| Thomas Coville | Sodebo Ultim 3 | France |
| Tom Laperche | SVR-Lazartigue | France |
| Armel Le Cléac'h | Maxi Banque Populaire XI | France |
| Anthony Marchand | Actual Ultim 4 | France |
| Guirec Soudée | Liamm | France |
List taken from the official website on 12 October 2026; it may still change before the start. A dash marks a boat whose name has not been announced yet.
The title holder
Charles Caudrelier holds the race record: 6 days 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds, set in 2022 on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. That year he finished ahead of François Gabart (SVR Lazartigue, 6d 23h 03m) and Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3, 7d 6h 37m), who is back in 2026 on the same boat (Wikipedia, 2022 Route du Rhum). The SVR-Lazartigue trimaran is now skippered by Tom Laperche.
The story of the record, from Mike Birch to Charles Caudrelier, is told in Route du Rhum: the story of the record.
The other classes
The IMOCAs · The Ocean Fiftys · The Class40s · Vintage Multi · Vintage Mono
The course, the other class records and the best spots for the start are in Route du Rhum 2026: course, classes, skippers and records, where to watch the start in Saint-Malo and how to follow the race. The track is on the Route du Rhum page of the globe. Ultims also race the Jules Verne Trophy and the other events listed on the Ultim offshore races page.