There Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2026 promises to be one of the most excerpts from history of the race. With 118 skippers registered to date, including 26 in IMOCAThe solo transatlantic race between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre promises some exciting duels. intense, technical and strategicHowever, behind the official announcements, a more nuanced reality is emerging: Not all registered participants will necessarily be on the starting line on November 1st.. Between economic difficulties, the search for sponsors, and geopolitical uncertaintiesThe IMOCA 2026 fleet could well see some last-minute withdrawals.
The forces at play: who will succeed Thomas Ruyant?
An exceptional IMOCA platform
With 26 skippers officially registered, the IMOCA class confirms its status as showcase of solo offshore racingAmong them were… experienced favorites, of the ambitious outsiders and new faces who fully intend to make their mark on the history of this 13th edition.
The favorites: the IMOCA elite in search of glory
- Thomas Ruyant (TR Racing) : Title holderhe will defend his trophy aboard a new boat, designed to dominate. However, his project remains outstanding due to a lack of sufficient sponsors.
- Jérémie Beyou (Charal) : 3rd in 2022, winner of the Transat Café L’Or, he is considered a big favorite with a high-performance boat.
- Sam Goodchild (Macif Santé Prévoyance) Winner of the Cape Racehe embodies the new generation skippers capable of competing with the most seasoned.
- Sébastien Simon (Dubreuil Air Caraïbes Group) Still at the top of the rankings, he intends to… finally winning the Route du Rhum.
- Armel Tripon (Les Ptits Doudous) : With a latest generation IMOCAHe’s aiming for the podium.
The outsiders to watch closely
- Elodie Bonafous (Petits Princes Association – Quéguiner) : First woman to win a stage of the Vendée Globeshe proved her mental and technical resistance.
- Violette Dorange (Initiatives-Cœur) : Revelation of the last Vendée GlobeShe could create a surprise.
- Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) : Committed to an ecological approachIt combines performance and sustainable innovation.
- Corentin Horeau (MACSF) : Young Wolf He is in a class of his own and has already shown his potential in solo races.
- Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei) : Italian skipper On the rise, he fully intends to shine on the Atlantic.
The new faces
- Pierre-Louis Attwell (Resilient) After years at Figaro, he takes the plunge in IMOCA with an ambitious project.
- Maël Garnier (DeVenir) : Coming from the Figaro circuit, he is betting on audacity and determination to make a name for themselves.
- Masa Suzuki (Milai 22) : First Japanese By competing in the IMOCA class in the Route du Rhum, he represents theincreasing internationalization of the class.
Key takeaway: a dense plateau, but major uncertainties
26 registered, but how many at the start?
If 26 IMOCA skippers are officially registered For the Route du Rhum 2026, Not all of them will necessarily be at the starting line.Several factors explain this. uncertainty :
- Seeking sponsors : In a tense economic contextMany skippers are struggling to make ends meet. Thomas Ruyant, the title holder, himself acknowledged that his project still depended on the arrival of partners.
- The cost of an IMOCA project : Between the purchase or construction of a boat (up to several million euros), campaign costs (insurance, technical team, logistics) and travel costs, an IMOCA budget can exceed 2.5 million euros per year.
- The wait-and-see attitude of companies The sponsors, cautious in the face of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, take their time to commit. Some skippers, like Francois Guiffant Or Jean-Baptiste Daramythey still hope find the missing 400,000 euros by summer.
- Last-minute cancellations Several sailors, like Romain Attanasiohave chosen to do not register due to a lack of visibility, preferring to focus on 2027.
A difficult economic context for sailing
There The IMOCA class is not spared. by the sponsor crisis which affects sport in general. Since 2024, several historic partnerships ended:
- Valley Office (Louis Burton)
- Biotherm (Paul Meilhat)
- Master CoQ (Yannick Bestaven)
- Advens (Thomas Ruyant)
David SineauAn experienced team manager puts things into perspective: “ This is not a crisis, but a return to normal. The years 2020-2024 were exceptional, with a sponsor renewal rate close to 100%. Today, we are returning to a more typical situation, where partnerships last a maximum of 10 to 15 years.
Yet, offshore racing remains attractive :
- Media exposure East huge (start village, global digital tracking).
- Return on investment (ROI) East interesting for sponsors, especially in events like the Route du Rhum or the Vendée Globe.
- Internationalization of the class (Japanese, Swiss, Italian skippers…) opens new opportunities.
The stakes of the 2026 Route du Rhum for IMOCA
A race with high risk and high reward
The Route du Rhum is one of the most demanding transatlantic crossings :
- A journey of 3,542 miles (6,560 km) solo.
- Unpredictable weather conditions, especially at the start of the race (starting in November).
- An extremely close competition in 2022, only 18 minutes separated the first two in Ocean Fifty.
For the IMOCA skippers, this 2026 edition represents:
✅ A key step in the preparation of Vendée Globe 2028.
✅ A full-scale test for the new boats (foils, optimized hulls…).
✅ A media showcase For attracting future sponsors.
Innovations to follow
The 2026 season is marked by:
- The arrival of new IMOCA boats (Thomas Ruyant, Sébastien Simon, Armel Tripon…).
- The use of RISE sails (Reducing the Environmental Impact of Sails), for a more durable sail.
- Energy autonomy Solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogenerators… Boats are becoming increasingly energy independent.
The Imoca skippers on the Route du Rhum
| No. | Name | First name | Boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| eighteen | AMEDEO | Fabrice | TEAM FDJ UNITED WEWISE |
| nineteen | ATTWELL | Pierre-Louis | RESILIENT |
| twenty | BEAUDART | Davy | VALLEY OFFICE |
| twenty-one | BECCARIA BALDUZZI | Ambrogio | ALLAGRANDE MAPEI |
| twenty-two | BEYOU | Jeremiah | CHARAL |
| twenty-three | BOISSIÈRES | Arnaud | APRIL Marine |
| twenty-four | BONAFOUS | Elodie | ASSOCIATION PETITS PRINCES – QUEGUINER |
| twenty-five | CLAPCICH | Francesca | 11TH HOUR RACING |
| twenty-six | COUSIN | Manual | A LITTLE HELPING HAND |
| twenty-seven | D’ESTAIS | Nicholas | CAFE JOYEUX |
| twenty-eight | DARAMY | Jean-Baptiste | TBA |
| twenty-nine | ORANGE | Violet | HEART INITIATIVES |
| thirty | GARNIER | Mael | Become |
| thirty-one | GOODCHILD | Sat | MACIF HEALTH AND PROTECTION |
| thirty-two | GUIFFANT | Francis | SHARING |
| thirty-three | HEER | Oliver | EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE |
| thirty-four | HOREAU | Corentin | MACSF |
| thirty-five | SWAMP | robin | TBA |
| thirty-six | MARSSET | Sebastian | FOUSSIER |
| thirty-seven | NOISING | Thomas | TR RACING |
| thirty-eight | SCOTT | Shawyer | Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive |
| thirty-nine | SIMON | Sebastian | DUBREUIL GROUP |
| forty | SUZUKI | masa | MILAI 22 |
| forty-one | TRIPON | Armel | THE LITTLE SOFT TOY |
| forty-two | TBA | – | – |
| forty-three | TBA |
Conclusion: Between dream and reality
There Route du Rhum 2026 is shaping up to be an exceptional year. for the IMOCA class, with a raised platform and promising duels. Yet, the shadow of doubt looms : How many of these 26 registered participants will actually be at the starting line?
Between the euphoria of the announcements And the harsh economic realityIMOCA skippers are sailing by sight. Some will manage to balance their budgetothers will have to postpone their ambitions to 2027 or 2028.
One thing is certain: Those who take the start on November 1, 2026 will write a new page in the history of offshore racing.
And who do you see winning in IMOCA?
The Route du Rhum is also your race Which skipper do you support? Jérémie Beyou for experience, Sam Goodchild for youth, or Elodie Bonafous for audacity? Share your predictions in the comments!