Ocean Fifty fleet set for Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe: On the edge thrills are guaranteed
by La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 26 Aug 22:33 PDT
20 October 2026
Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe © Vincent Olivaud
The high speed, light Ocean Fifty multihull bring the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe a unique experience, concentrated, high octane sport requiring full-on continuous commitment.
Watching the Ocean Fifty boats is a truly engaging, exciting experience. The 15-meter (50-foot) speedsters make blistering speeds, constantly pushing the limits, getting close to 40 knots. To race them effectively, safely and competitively takes skill, precision, expertise and the mental strength and composure to stay on top of these particularly demanding machines.
Constant attention is essential, even more so when conditions are changeable, regularly the case in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe during which the autumn depressions cross the course.
The Ocean Fifty skippers are only too aware of the difficulty of getting the most out of their demanding multihulls, most of all ensuring they don't capsize.
This constant awareness of danger means constant risk management, all contributiing to the unique character of a class where the level of competition has never been higher.
"On board, we quickly reach speeds of around 30 knots but we are in control," recalls Luke Berry (Le Rire Médecin Lamotte). "When it is great these boats really bring the emotions to the surface. I call them smile machines!"
Comparable performance for all
All eleven Ocean Fifty boats will be on the starting line in Saint-Malo on November 1st. All but one boat were designed by two naval architecture firms, Romaric Neyhousser and VPLP.
To limit the class's carbon footprint and ensure that competitors compete on a level playing field, no new Ocean Fifty boats are permitted to be built right now. This rule has helped strengthen the class over the years, despite generational differences. To join, you must already own an existing boat. This is what Sodebo, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy since January, achieved last year by acquiring a boat built in 2009 for its young skipper, Léonard Legrand.
This strategy helps to homogenize the fleet... and increase the suspense. A year ago, during the Transat Café L'Or, the top three finishers were all aboard older generation boats: Viabilis Océans, launched in 2017, Wewise in 2018, and Le Rire Médecin Lamotte in 2009.
And this year's Grand Prix races have not established any clear hierarchy: there have been five different winners in the first two rounds, and only four points separate first place (Elvest, 24 points) from third (Edenred, 20 points). "The strength in depth of the fleet is impressive, the level very even, and there are many of us eager to be at the front," says Baptiste Hulin (Viabilis Océans). While the winner of the Transat Café L'Or admits to "having a few confidence boosters," he knows "it can be extremely close at the finish and we all want to be on the podium."
A significant rebuild
On the skipper side, the class has seen a significant rebuild in recent years. " We are fortunate to have a fantastic fleet with young sailors, experienced sailors, spirited ones, and above all, very good skippers, " summarizes Thibault Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton). " There is a real diversity of profiles, and in recent seasons, we have had the opportunity to get to know our boats inside and out." In practical terms, the class's original skippers remain: Erwan Le Roux (51 years old, Plastic Odyssey Fifty), winner of the Route du Rhum in 2014 and again in 2022; Thibault Vauchel-Camus (47 years old, Solidaires en Peloton), winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2023; and Laurent Bourguès (45 years old). More recently, English born Luke Berry (39 years old, Le Rire Médecin) in 2023 and Matthieu Perraut (35 years old, Inter Invest) in 2024 have joined the class.
Facing them are numerous young skippers, as talented as they are promising: Basile Bourgnon (24 years old, Edenred), who has already distinguished himself in the Mini and Figaro classes (2nd in the Solitaire du Figaro in 2023) and won the Dhream Cup in July; Erwan Le Draoulec (29 years old, Lazare), winner of the Mini-Transat in 2017; Baptiste Hulin (29 years old, Viabilis), 2nd in the Route des Terres Neuvas; Pierre Quiroga (32 years old, Wewise), winner of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2021; and Léonard Legrand (32 years old, Sodebo). Furthermore, Anne-Claire Le Berre (Upwind by MerConcept) is preparing to make history by becoming the first woman to compete in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe aboard an Ocean Fifty.
The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe will be a new experience for most of them. Thibault Vauchel-Camus and Erwan Le Roux are the only two skippers who have already completed the solo transatlantic on an Ocean Fifty. Matthieu Perraut and Luke Berry have both raced in 2022, but in Class40. In total, seven skippers will discover the legendary race.
The transatlantic crossing
For them, it's a journey into uncharted territory in this race that marks the culmination of a four-year cycle. The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, which built its legend with the emergence of multihulls, remains the most prestigious event of the Ocean Fifty series. " From its inception, the class has always been designed for these great ocean sprints, " explains Mathieu Baule, director of Ocean Fifty Sailing. " It's part of its original spirit, its history, and its DNA. "
The season is always divided into two distinct phases: an initial part dedicated to the Grand Prix, crewed races in more sheltered waters that allow for fine-tuning and building performance before a second phase devoted to solo sailing. The skippers actually began this solo phase by participating in the Dhream Cup at the beginning of July, where they secured their qualification for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. Thus, everyone continues to fine-tune their settings, refine their preparations, and leave nothing to chance until the grand departure of the Route du Rhum on November 1st. And they all share one certainty: the battle within the battle between the Ocean Fifty boats promises to be thrilling from start to finish!