Route du Rhum 2026: where to watch the start in Saint-Malo
The Route du Rhum 2026 starts on Sunday 1 November at 1:02 pm local time, off Pointe du Grouin. The 117 boats do not start from the harbour itself: you can see them leave the Saint-Malo docks in the days before, then pick a spot on the coast for the starting gun.
Before the start: the race village and the dock exits
The race village sits around the Vauban and Duguay-Trouin docks, inside the walled city and on the Esplanade Saint-Vincent, from Tuesday 20 October to Sunday 1 November. Entry is free. It opens from 10 am to 8 pm on most days, until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays (23, 24, 30 and 31 October), and from 10 am to 5 pm on race day (City of Saint-Malo).
The boats leave the docks through the lock from 30 October to 1 November, class by class. The quays and ramparts are the place to watch, as close to the skippers as it gets. The city publishes the lock times.
Race day: the best viewpoints
The fleet starts off Cancale, then sails west along the Emerald Coast to the Cap Fréhel buoy. The Côtes-d'Armor tourist board recommends these spots (Côtes d'Armor tourist board):
| Spot | What you see | Parking |
|---|---|---|
| Pointe du Grouin (Cancale) | The start line, straight ahead | Near Port-Mer |
| Pointe du Meinga, Pointe des Grands-Nez | The start, from Saint-Coulomb | La Marette |
| Pointe de la Varde (Saint-Malo) | The fleet after the start | In town |
| Pointe du Décollé (Saint-Lunaire) | The fleet passing the coast | Scarce in town |
| Pointe de la Garde Guérin (Saint-Briac) | The fleet passing the coast | In town |
| Pointe de l'Isle, Pointe de la Cordière | The fleet, from Saint-Cast | Harbour and nearby streets |
| Cap Fréhel | The first mark of the course | Compulsory shuttles |
Pointe du Grouin is the closest spot to the line and the busiest: arrive early in the morning. Cap Fréhel, a protected Grand Site de France and Natura 2000 area, can only be reached on marked paths; shuttles leave from the Pont de l'Étang municipal campsite, turned into a car park.
Watching from the water
Boat trips are run by Armor Navigation from Saint-Malo and by the Voiles et Traditions association from Erquy (same source). Book ahead: seats go fast.
Practical tips
- Saint-Malo has a railway station; on race day, the roads to Pointe du Grouin and Cap Fréhel are jammed.
- Bring binoculars: the line is several miles offshore, and the Ultims disappear quickly.
- The city publishes a practical guide (traffic, parking, transport) on saint-malo.fr.
Once the fleet has gone, the race is followed online: our article how to follow the Route du Rhum 2026 lists the tools. The main offshore racing start ports are on the start ports page, and the full course on the Route du Rhum page of the globe.