Route du Rhum: Tom Laperche on his way to breaking the record

Land in sight, or almost. His gaze is focused on victory. At 29 years old, Tom Laperche is preparing to realize a childhood dream: winning the Route du Rhum. On his trimaran SVR Lazartigue 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 again, that’s great, as long as it works like this until the finish line,” shares the skipper.

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.

“He worked so hard to get there.”

In Guadeloupe, everyone holds their breath a few hours before arrival. His family, whom the France Télévisions teams met, is tracking 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,” hopes Philippe Laperche, Tom’s father. They will be there to welcome him. "He worked so hard to get there that it's quite moving. He deserves it. There aren't many people who realize their childhood dream. Today, we have the chance to experience that," adds Mathieu Laperche, Tom's 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're not moving forward. It was a big gym on board the trimaran," says the skipper. With an entire flotilla in the rearview mirror, Tom Laperche, the new wave of French sailing, is heading straight towards a first resounding victory.