French sailor Basile Bourgnon has won the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe Ocean Fifty class, completing the solo transatlantic race aboard Edenred in a record 9 days, 17 hours, 10 minutes and 23 seconds.
The 24-year-old crossed the finish line off Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 1.12 am local time on Wednesday, November 11 (5.12 am UTC), following a closely fought Atlantic crossing in which he overcame difficult weather, sail damage and a late challenge from his rivals.
His victory, subject to jury confirmation, improves the previous Ocean Fifty record by 1 day, 4 hours, 25 minutes and 29 seconds.
Record Run: Basile Bourgnon aboard his Ocean Fifty trimaran Edenred, which covered 4,058 nautical miles at an average speed of 17.41 knots on its way to victory in the 2026 Route du Rhum. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot
Bourgnon was the pre-race favourite and took the lead early in the crossing. He was the first Ocean Fifty skipper to gybe south of Ireland and subsequently negotiated a succession of demanding weather systems while maintaining his advantage.
After passing through a trough on November 3, he began extending his lead, which had reached 117 nautical miles by November 7. As Afloat reported on Monday, the contest tightened dramatically when he lost his J0 headsail, and Pierre Quiroga and Thibaut Vauchel-Camus closed to within about 15 miles.
Bourgnon also had to contend with a tropical depression and light, variable winds approaching Guadeloupe. He maintained his position and eventually extended his advantage again before completing the difficult passage around the island to the finish.
During the crossing, Edenred reached a maximum speed of 43.1 knots, a new speed record for the trimaran, previously noted by Afloat.
A Family Victory
The result carries particular significance for Bourgnon, whose late father Laurent won the Route du Rhum outright in both 1994 and 1998.
Family Legacy: An emotional Basile Bourgnon reflects on his record-breaking Ocean Fifty victory in Guadeloupe, 28 years after his late father Laurent claimed his second overall Route du Rhum win. Photo: Jean-Louis Carli
Laurent Bourgnon was among offshore sailing's most accomplished competitors, renowned for his meticulous preparation and innovative approach to multihull racing. Basile spent much of his childhood aboard a boat, including seven years sailing around the world with his family, before pursuing his own offshore racing career.
At 24, he became the youngest Route du Rhum class winner since Ellen MacArthur, who was 22 when she won the 50-foot monohull division in 1998.
The Ocean Fifty result follows Tom Laperche's record-breaking Ultim victory aboard SVR-Lazartigue, as the leading boats continue to arrive in Guadeloupe following the November 1 start from Saint-Malo.
