Route du Rhum 2026: Tom Laperche, new wave of French sailing

Land in sight, or almost, looking towards victory. At 29 years old, Tom Laperche is preparing to realize a childhood dream: winning the Route du Rhum. On his trimaran launched at full speed into the Atlantic, he remained cautious a few hours ago, but he hopes to reach Guadeloupe during the night of Saturday November 7 to Sunday November 8. “Everything is fine, it’s great. It has to work like this until the finish line to hope to win,” he confided from his boat. Barring a last minute accident, Tom Laperche will shatter the record of previous champion Charles Caudrelier by finishing the race in six days and barely a few hours. With his Formula 1 of the seas, the Breton impresses.

A child's dream

In Guadeloupe, everyone holds their breath a few hours before arrival. His family follows him with apprehension. “There will be a delicate maneuver because the buoy is very close to the coast. In three hours, I think we will be able to see it,” indicated Philippe Laperche, his father. They will be there to welcome him. “He worked so hard to get here that it’s quite moving and he deserves it. There aren’t many people who realize their childhood dream. Today, we have the chance to experience that,” smiled Mathieu, his brother.

This year the race was tough and difficult. Some of the most experienced sailors had to give up. But he held on. "We fell into calm, in squalls all night. That means we weren't making any progress. I had to give it a lot. It was the big gym on board the trimaran," said the navigator. A whole fleet in the rearview mirror. Tom Laperche, the new wave of French sailing, is heading straight towards a first resounding victory.