Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe
Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe takes place Nov 8, 2026 start from Saint-Malo (race village open from late Oct; the fastest Ultims reach Guadeloupe in under a week) in Saint-Malo, France. The dress code is Warm, genuinely waterproof winter layers - Brittany in November is cold, wet and windy. Sturdy shoes for the crowded quays and the cliff paths at the start. Free to attend; budget up to 800 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
A solo transatlantic race of roughly 3,540 nautical miles from Saint-Malo to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, held every four years since 1978. For about a fortnight beforehand the walled city fills with a free race village where the public can walk the pontoons among Ultim trimarans, IMOCAs and Class40s. The start off the Brittany coast in early November is cold, enormous and one of French sport's genuine set pieces.
- When
- Nov 8, 2026 start from Saint-Malo (race village open from late Oct; the fastest Ultims reach Guadeloupe in under a week)
- Where
- Saint-Malo, France
- Dress code
- Warm, genuinely waterproof winter layers - Brittany in November is cold, wet and windy. Sturdy shoes for the crowded quays and the cliff paths at the start.
- Cost
- Free to attend; budget up to 800 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
- Weather
- 6 - 12C at the start with frequent rain and Atlantic wind; the fleet sails into tropical conditions towards Guadeloupe
- When to book
- Saint-Malo beds for the start fortnight go a year ahead - look at Dinard, Cancale or Rennes and take the train or bus in, and book TGV seats early too
- Getting there
- RNS (Rennes), 70 min to Saint-Malo, or TGV from Paris Montparnasse in about 2 hr 30; PTP (Pointe-a-Pitre) for the finish
- Where to stay
- Grand Hotel des Thermes, Saint-Malo (grand, on the Sillon seafront), Hotel Le Nouveau Monde (sea-view rooms facing the ramparts), Hotel Ar Iniz (simple boutique option on the beach front)
- Official site
- https://www.routedurhum.com
How to attend
The Saint-Malo race village and pontoons are free and open to the public for roughly two weeks before the start. Use park-and-ride or the train, because the walled city is closed off and packed. The start itself can be watched free from the coastal cliffs, and Saint-Malo and Cancale operators sell spectator-boat tickets that need booking months ahead. In Guadeloupe the Pointe-a-Pitre finish village is open to all, with arrivals spread over several weeks.
The Saint-Malo race village and pontoons are free and open to the public for about two weeks before the start, so no ticket is needed to attend.
Insider tip
Go to the pontoons before 10am on a weekday - that is the only realistic window to get close to the Ultims and talk to shore crews. Then watch the start itself from the cliffs at Pointe du Grouin or Cap Frehel rather than the packed ramparts.
Get inside Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe
Booking matters here: saint-Malo beds for the start fortnight go a year ahead - look at Dinard, Cancale or Rennes and take the train or bus in, and book TGV seats early too. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
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