Class40 fleet set for Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe: The biggest and most open class
by La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 11 Sep 07:40 PDT
20 October 2026
Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe © Sebastien Salom-Gomis
Class 40 is again the biggest division in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe and in many respects it's a microcosm of everything the key elements of the race's DNA.
Well known, well resourced professional solo skippers compete aboard 40 foot boats which may differ in design - many scows some pointy bows, all aspire to withstand the challenging Autumn conditions year and cross the Atlantic Ocean to experience the joy and sheer satisfaction of arriving in Guadeloupe.
This year's race for victory is very open and will determine the successor to Yoann Richomme who is the winner of the last two editions.
Images of Class40 2022 are pretty much iconic, a sky finally clearing, the sun shining brightly on the water, and the Class40 fleet setting off at full power. Four years ago, they had to wait for a break in the weather, spending three extra days in Saint-Malo before they could finally start. The solo battle was fierce: on the other side of the Atlantic in Guadeloupe the first seven boats arrived within 20 hours!
Class40s will once again be the most represented class on the starting line. There will be 49 skippers competing, representing a diversity of profiles that mirrors the strength of this class. Amateur skippers share the spotlight with professionals, reflecting the identity of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.
"It's a class where there is both quantity and quality" (Alexis Loison, skipper of Groupe Reel)
The stakes are high this year, as the class will inevitably yield a new winner. Yoann Richomme has won the last two editions (2018 and 2022) but as he is not entered, the race to succeed him is now on. Two skippers are the favorites: Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran Seafrigo) and Corentin Douguet (SNSM, Faites un don!).
"They've shared the most prestigious victories for the past two seasons; I see them as the clear favorites," says Alexis Loison (Groupe Reel).
Guillaume Pirouelle won the Transat Café L'Or (2025), the Trin40, and the CIC Normandy Channel this season. Corentin Douguet, for his part, triumphed in the CIC Normandy Channel Race, the Rolex Fastnet Race (2025), and the Dhream Cup (2026). Alongside them, many others could realistically hope for overall victory or a top finish.
"There are a significant number of outsiders," confirms Loison This list includes the Catalan Pep Costa (VSF Sports, winner of the Round Ireland) Quentin Le Nabour (Bleu Blanc Planète Location, 2nd in the 40 Malouine), and Fabien Delahaye (Legallais, winner of the Les Sables Horta). Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel), Axel Tréhin, Achille Nebout (Amarris), and Loison himself (Groupe Réel), recent winner of the 40th Malouine, are also contenders.
"It's going to be a real battle, and I'm really looking forward to it," continues Alexis. "It's a class with a very high level of competition. In short, there's both quantity and quality!"
In addition to the overall victory it will be engaging also to keep a close eye on the "battle within the battle" between the pointy bowed original boats. While the majority of the fleet now sails scows (with a wide, rounded bow), about ten boats are competing aboard these traditional boats. This is the case for Mathieu Claveau (Phare 40), based in the Mediterranean.
"I really appreciate the accessibility offered by the traditional boats," he says. "It's fantastic to be able to compete in such a prestigious race as the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe on our own boats."
He draws a parallel with the situation in the IMOCA class, where older boats with straight keels sail alongside foiling boats. "Even if we don't have the same budgets as the scows, we have good boats that allow us to have some great races," Mathieu points out. The competition promises to be fierce among the top-of-the-range boats, especially against Loïc Féquet and Djamila Tassin (Magenta).
Internationals and four Guadeloupeans on the route home
Also on the Class40 starting line is former Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou (Pierreval-Fondation GoodPlanet), as well as numerous international skippers. For the first time, a Czech skipper (Milan Kolácek) will be at the starting line of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. Italians Andrea Fornaro (IMAGIN'ACT-SOCOMEC), Luca Rosetti (Maccaferri Futura), and Marco Guerra (Influence), Australian Henry Rupert, Spaniards Aina Bauza and Pep Costa (VSF Sports), Irishwoman Pamela Lee, and Belgian Jonas Gerkens (Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium) will also be competing.
It's also worth noting that this class includes the majority of Guadeloupean skippers competing in the race, such as Kéni Piperol, Ulysse Pozzoli (Earwen), Rodolphe Sepho (Rêve de large), and Yannick Rebuffat (Mussolo40). These skippers are particularly popular on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, where the Guadeloupeans are eager to celebrate their arrival in style.