TOM LAPERCHE WINS THE ROUTE DU RHUM 2026 ABOARD SVR LAZARTIGUE
A New Race Record and the Ultim Podium Powered by North Sails.
On his first attempt at the legendary race he dreamed of as a boy, French skipper Tom Laperche has won the 13th Route du Rhum, and in doing so has rewritten the record books. The 29-year-old crossed the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 22:31:40 local time on Saturday, November 7, after 6 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 40 seconds of solo racing aboard the 32-meter Ultim trimaran SVR Lazartigue.
That time is 6 hours, 19 minutes and 45 seconds faster than the record Charles Caudrelier set in 2022. His dominant singlehanded victory makes Laperche only the third skipper under 30 to win the Route du Rhum, following in the footsteps of Marc Pajot in 1982 and Laurent Bourgnon in 1994.
"It's the culmination of my entire life's journey, ever since my childhood in La Trinité-sur-Mer," Laperche said on arrival. "So, to win it at the helm of the most magnificent boat in the 2026 fleet, that makes me very, very happy."
📸: FACTSTORY
LEADING FROM SAINT-MALO TO THE ANTILLES
Laperche started as one of the favorites, and he sailed like one. He took the lead off Cap Fréhel, just hours after the start in Saint-Malo on November 1st, and never gave it up. By the final days he was alone at the front of the Ultim fleet.
He covered 4,308 nautical miles on a course whose direct route is 3,542 miles, averaging 27.18 knots through the water. The last obstacle was the notoriously tricky lap of Guadeloupe, compounded by an unusual tropical storm that delivered unpredictable winds.
But the young Frenchman maintained his focus, energy and determination to the end: “I knew it wouldn't be easy. No one ever wins the Route du Rhum by just coasting along. But I loved it; I found everything I had hoped for aboard this trimaran. I wanted this vessel to fly, to go as fast as it possibly could. At times, that's all it wants to do - and it's a joy to try and match its pace.”
The race was not without drama. When Armel Le Cléac'h's Banque Populaire XI capsized and he triggered his distress beacon, Laperche diverted to assist until Le Cléac'h was recovered safely. "It truly makes your blood run cold," Laperche said of the capsize. Race officials granted him a time bonus of 1 hour and 2 minutes for the detour.
The flawless win caps a remarkable rise. Laperche won the Solitaire du Figaro in 2022, where France’s best solo sailors earn their stripes, before going on to win both the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Transat Café L'Or in 2025, racing SVR Lazartigue with co-skipper Franck Cammas.
📸: AFP
PUSHING PERFORMANCE BOUNDARIES WITH NORTH SAILS
Like many boats in this offshore classic, SVR Lazartigue was powered by North Sails. 75% of the Ultim fleet place their confidence in North Sails, the result of years of work and close collaboration, founded on experience, trust and customer service.
In just four editions of this famous transatlantic sprint, the fastest time has dropped by more than a full day. North Sails 3Di technology was the driving force behind the race record in 2022, when Caudrelier broke the seven-day barrier for the first time, and Laperche has now gone more than six hours faster again in 2026.
Alone at the helm for six and a half days, Laperche needed sails he could trust mile after mile. And this year's race asked more of the sails than usual. With no trade winds to lean on, Laperche was pushed onto a more northerly route characterized by constant transitions, sail changes and long, demanding maneuvers. A solo Ultim carries only a small wardrobe, typically a mainsail and four headsails, so every sail on board had to perform across a huge range of conditions.
“With every gust, with every sail change, I was in complete fusion with the boat," Laperche said. “I may have been alone at sea, but I can tell you that the team back on shore did an extraordinary job.”
📸: FACTSTORY
North’s 3Di technology was also onboard Thomas Coville’s Sodebo Ultim 3 and Louis Burton’s Ultim Armand Thiery, who completed the Ultim podium on Sunday November 8th. Burton, who finished only 1 hour behind the hugely experienced Coville, pulled off a particularly impressive feat in his first transatlantic race aboard his new Ultim. After making his name in the IMOCA Class, Burton underlined his immense talent and natural ability, pushing Coville to the limit until the end. Having only switched to racing the giant trimarans earlier this season, his fearless performance will no doubt have caught the attention, and respect, of the other Ultim skippers.
With so many racing teams choosing to work with North Sails to develop their sail plans, the North Sails loft in Lorient, France, plays a critical role. Specialist sail designer Julien Pilate explains how the relationship is years in the making: "North Sails has been part of the SVR Lazartigue program since the very beginning, working closely with the MerConcept design office, Franck and Tom to design the rig and develop the aerodynamic platform."
📸: Vincent Olivaud
The racing team tapped North's unique software tools to use our CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis and FSI (Fluid–Structure Interaction) studies to improve the boat's aerodynamic efficiency, providing critical data for the VPP (Velocity Prediction Program) and simulator. Pilate concluded, "North have not only designed and produced three new headsails (J0, J15 and J2), but we optimized the sail shapes and layouts to improve straight-line speed and forgiveness, which is particularly important in challenging sea conditions where apparent wind angles can vary significantly. We also designed and produced 3Di aerodynamic fairings for the forward beams and central hull, as part of the overall mission to improve performance and aerodynamic efficiency. We're incredibly proud to be part of breaking this record again. Congratulations to Tom and the whole SVR Lazartigue team on a historic win."
