Overview
- Laperche crossed the Pointe-à-Pitre finish late Saturday to win the Ultim class and set a new race record, completing the transatlantic course in 6 days, 13 hours, 27 minutes and 40 seconds.
- He led from the start and held a lead of several hundred nautical miles over his nearest rivals as many top Ultim competitors retired with major failures such as a broken foil, a rudder problem and a capsize.
- Race organisers reported that several boats and nearby commercial vessels diverted toward the Azores after Class 40 skipper Benoit Sineau activated a distress beacon and confirmed he remained on board but could not yet be contacted.
- Race control warned that accumulated fatigue and the need to preserve fragile high-speed components shaped late decisions by skippers who had to balance pushing for speed with avoiding gear failure.
- The Route du Rhum drew 115 starters and the finish by the Ultims marks the opening of arrivals, with smaller monohull classes due to reach Guadeloupe in the days ahead and race teams managing ongoing safety and equipment checks.