Route du Rhum: The Atlantic’s Most Epic Solo Sailing Challenge

Few sailing events rival the excitement and challenge of the Route du Rhum, the legendary solo transatlantic yacht race.

At TA-DAH.TV, we love feats of epic human endurance. So, you know we had to investigate this event in more detail.

Imagine setting sail alone across the vast, unpredictable Atlantic Ocean, with nothing but your skill, determination, and a racing yacht standing between you and glory.

Like the incredible Vendée Globe yacht race, this test of maritime mettle pits some of the best sailors in the world against unforgiving waters. Check out our video now to learn more about this awesome challenge. Or keep reading for the full rundown.

What Is the Route du Rhum?

The Route du Rhum has become a hallmark of solo ocean racing. Founded in 1978 by French entrepreneur Michel Etevenon, he wanted to create a transatlantic race that would push sailors to their absolute limits.

Known as the “Queen of Transatlantic Races,” it brings together professional and amateur sailors alike, offering an equal opportunity to chase glory.

The race spans 3,542 miles (6,562 kilometers) across the Atlantic, stretching from the historic port of Saint-Malo in Brittany, France, to the tropical paradise of Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe.

The Route du Rhum is not for the faint of heart. It’s a true maritime marathon that has been capturing the imagination of sailing enthusiasts for over four decades.exposing competitors to the harsh realities of solo sailing—unpredictable weather, isolation, and grueling physical demands.

A Race Like No Other

What makes the Route du Rhum truly special is its incredible diversity. Unlike many sailing competitions, this race welcomes a remarkable variety of boats and sailors – from professional racers to passionate amateurs, all united by their love of the ocean and their hunger for adventure.

The Six Spectacular Boat Categories

The race features six jaw-dropping boat categories, each with its own unique character. Let’s get you more acquainted with each class now.

1.  Ultim32/23: The speed demons of the sailing world. These massive, cutting-edge vessels are designed to absolutely fly across the Atlantic.
2.  IMOCA: 60-foot ocean racing monohulls that are essentially floating laboratories of maritime innovation.
3.  Ocean Fifty: 50-foot multihulls that bring serious competitive energy to the race.
4.  Class40: A category perfect for amateur and professional racers alike, featuring 40-foot monohulls.
5.  Rhum Mono: A fascinating mix of boats ranging from 40 to 60 feet, including everything from modern prototypes to historic vessels.
6.  Rhum Multi: Multihulls under 64 feet that promise intense, nail-biting competition.

Breaking Records and Challenging Limits

The 2022 race was a testament to human endurance and technological marvel. Charles Caudrelier blazed across the finish line in his Maxi Edmond de Rothschild Ultim in an astonishing 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds.

Hot on his heels were François Gabart and Thomas Coville, with veteran sailor François Joyon making an impressive fourth-place finish.

Controversy in 2022 Route du Rhum

Unfortunately, the 2022 installment of the maritime challenge ended in tragedy when two people lost their lives in the final stages of the event.

The incident involved the capsizing of a support boat, resulting in the deaths of 35-year-old François Naveilhan. This event occurred when the boat hit an oncoming wave, causing it to overturn and trap several passengers underneath.

This awful incident underpins just how challenging this event is.

More Than Just a Race: How Route du Rhum Celebrates Diversity

One of the most inspiring aspects of the Route du Rhum is its growing diversity. Each edition sees more women taking on this incredible challenge, shattering stereotypes and proving that courage knows no gender.

Legendary sailors like Ellen MacArthur, who won twice (in 1998 and 2002), have become icons, inspiring a new generation of sailors to push beyond perceived limitations.

The Magic of Saint-Malo

The race doesn’t just start in Saint-Malo – it transforms the entire city into a sailing festival. Imagine 13 days of build-up, with each boat category getting its own parade, and over 1.35 million visitors turning up to witness the spectacle.

The historic port city becomes a carnival of maritime excitement, celebrating its deep connection to the sea.

Find More Sailing News on Our Dedicated Sports Channel

As we look forward to future editions, one thing is certain: the Route du Rhum will continue to evolve, inspire and challenge the very definition of what’s possible in solo sailing.

If you like the sound of this epic adventure, then you’ll love the other events we cover on our awesome Sports Channel.

 

It was just awesome to see the athletes back at competing, and so when the GKA Freestyle World Tour kicked off in Tarifa at the end of June, Valdevaqueros beach was electric: not just with its super cool summer vibe, but with wind speeds hitting up to 50 knots too! Hence, organisers were faced with the decision to change the competition’s format for the athletes’ safety. So gradually, everything went from Freestyle to Big Air and that was a huge relief for some, but other riders were taken quite by surprise. Still, the professionals that they are, everybody rose to the challenge ‘big time’, which was just jaw-dropping to watch from the comfort of dry land.

40 kite surfers traveled down to Europe’s wind capital from no less than 16 countries. Every single one of them was keen to get back to competing, so there was a precious moment during registration and when the show finally hit the road, there were great smiles and huge expectations all round. The men’s podium included Arthur Guillebert from France in 1st place, Jeremy Burlando riding for Italy in 2nd and the Australian Ewan Jaspan in 3rd position. The current reigning women’s world champion, Mikaili Sol, held on to her title in 1st place, followed closely by Pippa van Iersel from Holland in 2nd, whilst the UK’s Hannah Whiteley came 3rd.

Let’s hear it for the girls: we’ve got great interviews for you with the female winners, who portrayed real girl power out there on the water, mentally and physically. So watch out for our women’s podium special too, when Mika, Pippa & Hannah chat about their highlights and biggest challenges of this competition.

GKA KITE WORLD TOUR CALENDAR 2025:

Well, of course, Wimbledon is it – and we would say that, because we are very biased indeed. However much Grand Slams are the biggest points and revenue earners (with the most grandest cups to display in to your guest loo), there are plenty of fascinating tournaments in the European calendar, so visit the ATP online to find out about the next tournament highlight in the calendar

Grand Slams and the ATP Tour

Game, Set, and Match! Congratulations are in order for Novak Djokovic on winning his sixth Wimbledon crown in a grand slam final against Italian opponent Matteo Berrettini on Saturday 11th July 2021 (which proved to be a busy Sunday for the sport world). His younger opponent having been on an 11-match winning run before this head-to-head, meant this historical final match was unmissable! His win brings Djokovic into an exclusive group of tennis players joining the world-famous Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, equalling their records of achieving 20 grand slam titles. With many seeing this as the beginning of the end of an era for this unique group of pros. At TA-DAH.TV we are certainly looking forward to the future of tennis as grand slams welcome new and upcoming names in the world of tennis.

Grand Slams

For those unfamiliar with tennis, the four grand slam tournaments are the most renowned events in the sport. These tournaments offer the most ranking points, prize money, public and media attention. These are also the longest matches for men basing the match on the best of 5 sets! Putting to the test the strength and stamina of the greatest pros. The four Grand Slams consist of The Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon, and The US Open.

The Australian Open

Each year the Australian Open is held over the last 2 weeks of January at Melbourne Park. This is the first of the four annual majors. The open features men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, junior championships, and wheelchair tennis. It is now held on hard court surfaces as opposed to grass courts which it updated from in 1988. Famous winners include:

• Rod Laver
• Andy Murray
• Ken Rosewall
• Martina Navratilova
• Martina Hingis
• Monica Seles
• Novak Djokovic

The French Open

Officially known as Roland Garros, this major tennis tournaments is held over a two week period at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. Named after the French Aviator Roland Garros. This is the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. The French Open is played on clay courts and is considered to be one of the most physically demanding of the tournaments played across the world of tennis. Clay courts are notoriously difficult for some of the worlds very best tennis players to win tournaments. The surface will slow down the ball and produce a high bounce, different to that of hard and grass courts. This is why you will often notice the winners varying slightly from the other famous names of the other 3 grad slams.

Famous winners include:

• Rafa Nadal
• Noval Djokovic
• Sergi Bruguera
• Martina Navratilova
• Gustavo Kuerten
• Monica Seles

Wimbledon

Wimbledon Is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and regarded as the most prestigious. There aren’t many people who haven’t heard of Wimbledon. Beside from the strawberries and cream and English garden party fashion, the tournament is rich in history. Each year The Wimbledon Championships are held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London. It is the only major still played on the traditional tennis playing surface of grass.

Famous winners of Wimbledon include:

• Roger Federer
• Serena Williams
• Martina Navratilova
• Chris Evert
• Boris Becker
• Venus Williams
• Bjorn Borg
• Billie Jean King

US Open

The US open is a hard-court tennis tournament and since 1987 has been the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. Usually starting on the last Monday of August and continuing for two weeks. Since 1978 this Grand Slam has been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

Famous winners of the US Open include:

• Dominic Thiem
• Bruno Soares
• Mate Pavić
• Vera Zvonareva
• Laura Siegemund
• Naomi Osaka

European ATP Tournaments

Along with the famous annual Grand Slams, there are a whole host of other important ATP tournaments. This includes the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, hosted on the border of swanky Monaco in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France, this is an annual tennis tournament for male professionals, held at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The ATP tournaments also feature the Mutua Madrid Open, the Hamburg European Open, the Swiss Open Gstaad, the European Open in Antwerp, and the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. Following the ATP tournaments across Europe could take you to some fabulous cities of culture, all in the name of spectating professional tennis tournaments. Every year there is a real buzz around both the famous faces and young, upcoming pros, looking for a big break in these heated competitions.

At TA-DAH.TV we can’t help but be invested as we’re always on the look-out for the next bright young star to light up the tennis courts.

Having enjoyed the flavour of a Wingfoil competition with the world’s best riders in Tarifa in Dec’20, we cannot wait for this tour to hit the road! For the GWA to be serious about pushing this sport, its boundaries and the performance of the athletes with every single competition is massive for the sport.

Being an official partner of the fair BOOT DÜSSELDORF, which just happens to be the largest watersports exhibition in the world, shows they mean business. The GWA will also be supporting the first ever German Wingfoil Championship, which takes place in Kiel from the 29 July – 1 August 2021, which is another string to their bow. (globalwingsportsassociation.org)

There are two official disciplines for the GWA Wingfoil World Tour: Surf-Freestyle and Surf-Race, plus a possible third discipline called the Expression Session, which does not count towards world rankings, but can be added to the main two categories at the discretion of the respective event. Read on to find out what’s involved:

Surf-Freestyle

The Surf-Freestyle discipline includes the expression format where competitors surf waves or swells and perform air and surface tricks using the given water conditions. It is a mix of both wave riding and air tricks.

Surf-Race

In the Surf-Race discipline, multiple competitors ride around a course with a start and finish line that combines jibes, tacks and parts of pumping or surfing without wing assistance. The Race Director sets the course according to the given conditions in the competition area. It is called Surf-Race because it includes upwind racing with surfing/pumping downwind.

Expression session

In addition to the two official disciplines, an event may host an expression session format.

An expression session is a non-official show format that does not count towards the world ranking. During the expression session, the athletes compete in a special format that is chosen depending on the conditions to provide a spectacular show (for example Best Trick, Best Wave, Highest Jump, Team contest, etc.)

Tour dates:

• 28 April – 5 May: Leucate/FRA
• 1 – 4 July: Vian do Costello/ POR
• 12 – 15 Aug: Silvaplana/ SUI
• 18 – 21 Oct: Fortaleza/BRA
• 3 – 6 Nov: Dakhla/MOR

Woah, this guys is nuts – which some think is a slight understatement! Watching the Spanish Champion in Snowboarding Slopestyle, Jaime Castro, train and prepare for his next championship was insane. He is a FIS (International Ski Federation), as well as FADI (Andalusian Federation of Winter Sports), and so we hooked up with him in Livigno/ Italy, where one Europe’s best SB training parks is situated: Mottolino Fun Mountain!

The park was open to athletes and their coaches during this winter season, who came from all over the world, including countries like the UK, Germany, Argentina, Chile, Czech Republic and many more, other than native athletes from Italy and Spain. It was important for training to resume, as European championships and tournaments (carried out in their respective bubbles) were still taking place. The jumps at Mottolino are of Olympic standard, which is why we are not surprised that this sleepy, pretty little village will be hosting some of the ski and snowboard disciplines at the Winter Olympics in 2026! Exciting stuff…

Jaime’s home turf is actually the Sierra Nevada. He’s from Granada, the fabulous Spanish city steeped in history, situated in Andalusia and home to the world-famous Alhambra. So, popping up the hill to the Sulayr Snowpark is easy pickings for him. Watch him fly, twist and turn there, as there’s nothing safe from getting the ‘Jaime treatment’. Hence, when the heaviest snowfall in 40 years hit Madrid, Jaime hit the road. Board in the boot, he made his way to the Spanish capital, and delivered snowboarding performances the city has never seen before. You have to see it to believe it…you may peel your chin off the floor after!

Back at the Mottolino Fun Park, the new generation wasn’t sleeping though: junior athletes (also FADI members) were hard at work, training for the Campeonato de España Snowboarding Slopestyle, which was scheduled for the end of March. Bad weather moved to to the 10-11 April, and we can only congratulate Teiva Hamaini, Aida Castro & Kai Hamaini to have made it onto the podium in their respective categories – very well done, guys! But, it’s time to hit that start button now and see them perform…have fun 🙂