Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee is among 118 skippers now entering the final countdown to the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, with just over a month remaining before the solo transatlantic fleet leaves Saint-Malo.
As previously reported by Afloat, Lee is preparing to become the first Irishwoman to compete in the Route du Rhum, adding an Irish milestone to the 13th edition of one of offshore sailing’s most celebrated solo races.
The fleet gathered in Paris on Tuesday for the official presentation of the race, which starts from Saint-Malo on Sunday, November 1 and finishes at Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe.
Lee’s participation comes in a fleet spanning six divisions — Ultim, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, Class40, Vintage Multi and Vintage Mono — and ranging from some of offshore racing’s biggest names to first-time Route du Rhum competitors.
118 Skippers for Saint-Malo Start
The finalised entry list numbers 118 skippers, with Guirec Soudée recently joining the Ultim fleet and Alexis Thomas added to Class40. Competition is expected to be particularly strong across the modern grand-prix classes.
Paris Gathering: The 118 skippers entered in the 2026 Route du Rhum gather at the Folies Bergère in Paris for the official presentation, with Ireland’s Pamela Lee among the solo sailors preparing for the November 1 start. Photo: Jean Louis-Carli
Armel Le Cléac’h and Tom Laperche are among the leading names in the Ultim fleet, while defending Route du Rhum champion Charles Caudrelier is due to race his new flying maxi trimaran.
The IMOCA fleet includes Jérémie Beyou, Sam Goodchild and Francesca Clapcich, while Ocean Fifty features experienced campaigners Erwan Le Roux and Thibault Vauchel-Camus alongside a younger generation including Basile Bourgnon, Pierre Quiroga and Baptiste Hulin.
Class40, the division in which Lee is campaigning, is the largest fleet, with French sailors Guillaume Pirouelle and Corentin Douguet among a group expected to contest the front of the race.
Class40 skipper Alexis Loison described the standard as “exceptionally high”, saying the division offered both “quality and quantity”.
Offshore Legends Join Vintage Fleets
The Route du Rhum’s Vintage Multi and Vintage Mono categories will also bring some of offshore sailing’s best-known names back to the Saint-Malo start.
Four former ORMA trimarans are entered in Vintage Multi, including boats sailed by 2018 Route du Rhum winner Francis Joyon and Damien Seguin.
Saint-Malo Stage: The Route du Rhum race village in Saint-Malo, where 118 solo skippers will assemble before setting out for Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, on November 1. Photo: Alexis Courcoux
Jean Le Cam and Sidney Gavignet are among the Vintage Mono entries, while Tanguy Caradec will compete in a particularly poignant campaign. His father Loïc Caradec was lost at sea during the 1986 Route du Rhum.
Final Month of Preparation
With the start approaching, the focus now turns to the final weeks of preparation before the fleet assembles in Saint-Malo.
The race village will include a new “Off du Rhum” programme extending activities into Saint-Malo and surrounding communities, while the Art Explora Festival will be staged aboard what organisers describe as France’s first museum boat.
For Lee, the November 1 start will mark the culmination of her campaign to make Irish sailing history on the 3,500-mile solo Atlantic course to Guadeloupe.
