Joyon, Le Cléac'h, Caudrelier... Are there really more dropouts in this edition of the Route du Rhum?

The Atlantic Ocean has not planned any gifts for the skippers during this Route du Rhum 2026. The Transatlantic, which set off on Sunday November 1 from Saint-Malo to reach Pointe-à-Pitre, has already experienced many upheavals. On Wednesday evening, there were already 10 abandonments in all categories, including one of the favorites Armel Le Cléac'h (Maxi Banque Populaire

If the defending champion Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) is not yet counted by the organizers as officially out of the race since he is diverting to Lorient, he was also forced to withdraw due to damage. Wednesday evening, after three days of racing, the percentage of abandonments rose to 8.6% with 10 abandonments for 115 starters: 3 Ultim, 1 Ocean Fifty, 2 Imoca, 3 Class 40 and 1 Vintage Multi. In 2022, at the same time of the race, the organizers recorded the same total of abandonments. The ratio was then slightly lower (7.2%) since more boats had taken the start. In 2018, on the other hand, only three of the 18 multihulls crossed the finishing line.

In this 2026 edition, a collision between Violette Dorange (Initiatives Coeur) and Romain Pilliard (Use It Again) marked the start of the race, on the first night. The two skippers are currently at the dock trying to repair their boat. The chain of glitches, especially among the main competitors, can give the impression of a massacre. Is this really the case? To judge it, we will have to wait for the official end of the race, set for December 3. According to the official website, in 2010 the final withdrawal rate was 16.5% (14 withdrawals for 85 starters), in 2014 it was 27.4% (25 for 91 starters), in 2018 it was 35.7% (44 for 123 starters) and in 2022 it was 25.3% (35 for 138 starters).

More boats, more competitiveness, more risks

This extensive damage cannot be explained by the rather mild weather, but by two other factors, according to Jacques Caraës, former race director of the Vendée Globe and the Route du Rhum. "In each category, even among amateurs, we take an additional level of sportsmanship and challenge with each edition. The skippers push much more. The technique allows the skippers to go further, and therefore we go towards the limits. And solo unfortunately, with the gigantism of certain boats, it sometimes requires returning to the stable", analyzes the navigator to ICI Bretagne.

"It's a mechanical sport. Breakage is part of the sport, it's inherent to sailing the oceans. And it shows that it's not a trivial matter to cross the Atlantic," says Michel Desjoyeaux, double winner of the Vendée Globe. For the former skipper, the number of entrants also increases the risk of breakage. There are 115 of them in this edition, in six different categories. They were, for comparison, 138 during the previous edition in 2022 (record), 123 in 2018 and 91 in 2014.

We had to put our foot down straight away. The level has increased everywhere in the fleet, among the guys, among the girls, we are pushing ourselves and this pressure is not easy to measure.

Michel Desjoyeaux, double winner of the Vendée Globe

to AFP

"It's quite rare, that's an impressive number of boats, and the percentage of damage is still very low compared to the number of entrants", estimates Jacques Caraës. Michel Desjoyeaux follows suit: “There are a lot of people involved, therefore a lot of breakage. We cannot yet speak of a massacre.”