Defending Route du Rhum champion Charles Caudrelier has qualified for the 2026 race aboard the new 32-metre Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 18. The French skipper completed a 1,200-mile solo passage north of Ireland last week, spending more than 48 hours at sea on his first single-handed outing aboard the maxi-trimaran.
The qualification leaves Caudrelier and Gitana Team with the principal formalities completed ahead of the 13th Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, which will be Gitana 18's first major race.
First Solo Miles For Gitana 18
Caudrelier departed aboard Gitana 18 on Tuesday, September 1st, for a there-and-back passage north of Ireland, designed to complete his qualification and build experience with the new boat in solo configuration.
Solo Focus: Charles Caudrelier aboard Gitana 18 after completing his 1,200-mile qualification passage north of Ireland for the Route du Rhum. Photo: Y. Riou
The passage came after an intensive summer programme of crewed test sailing aimed at accelerating development of the eight-month-old trimaran.
“Perfect — and about time too!” Caudrelier said of finally sailing the boat alone. “Sailing solo feels natural to me. It's something I've always been comfortable with. When you're solo, you're more focused, and you become more at one with your boat because you're responsible for everything.”
He said Gitana 18 had proved straightforward to handle alone, adding that the boat had been designed with single-handed sailing firmly in mind.
New Boat Remains The Challenge
Caudrelier won the 2022 Route du Rhum aboard the previous Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, but says the challenge is different four years later.
“The difference with the 2022 Route du Rhum is experience and status,” he said. “Last time round, I said the weak link could be me. Today it's the opposite — I have the experience, and it's the boat that still needs more offshore miles.”
Gitana 18 was launched only eight months ago, and Caudrelier acknowledged that bringing such an innovative boat to the Route du Rhum start in such a short period represents a significant gamble.
“Generally, it takes two or three years to get a boat performing well,” he said. “All the more so because with Gitana 18, we chose to do something very different from what already existed.”
Flight Mode: The new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 18, stretches her foils during testing as the team focuses on speed and reliability before her Route du Rhum race debut. Photo: Y. Riou
Technical Work Takes Priority
Rather than joining rivals in further head-to-head racing, Gitana Team will now concentrate on a technical programme intended to maximise the trimaran's reliability and performance before the start.
The work will include removing and servicing the appendages and checking the boat's systems following three months of test sailing.
Caudrelier said his solo-racing experience meant the team's priority was now the boat, not additional competition. “A fast, reliable boat gives you a better chance of winning than extra training in a boat that isn't yet performing to its full potential,” he said.
Gitana 18 is scheduled to resume sailing at the end of September, giving Caudrelier about a fortnight to test the latest modifications and optimisations before heading to Saint-Malo.
“We won't be at 100% of Gitana 18's potential at the start of the Route du Rhum,” Caudrelier said, “but the team will have given everything to make sure we line up competitively on the start line.”
