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1978: Olympus Photo writes the first page
A 12-meter trimaran built of molded wood, the Olympus Photo won the first Route du Rhum with Canadian Mike Birch at the helm. Made famous by its final sprint against the Kriter 5, the Olympus Photo marked the end of monohulls? dominance in ocean races. Lightweight, rugged, yet seafaring, this Newick-Green design had a short career, as it was abandoned after capsizing during its return voyage to Europe in 1980. Replicas have since been built.
1982: Elf Aquitaine, the only catamaran to win
To date, this is the only edition to have been won by a catamaran. Marc Pajot, aboard the Elf Aquitaine, crossed the finish line as the winner despite a cracked bow beam. After several victories in the Ostar and an Atlantic record, the large catamaran was converted into a passenger vessel in the Caribbean. It is now based in Dominica and continues to operate as a charter boat.
1986: Fleury Michon VIII, helmed by Philippe Poupon
With this large foiling trimaran, Philippe Poupon claimed first place in an edition marked by the death of Loïc Caradec. The 22-meter carbon-fiber Irens-designed boat would later break the Atlantic record, skippered by ?Philou? Poupon. Later taken over by Éric Loizeau, it competed in a few regattas without achieving any notable results due to a lack of funding. It sustained significant damage while passing through a hurricane and has since been exposed to the elements at a storage facility in the Caribbean.
1990: Florence Arthaud's iconic victory aboard Pierre 1er
A pioneer of the ORMA class, the large trimaran Or wrote one of the most memorable chapters in the history of the Route du Rhum. After securing a magnificent victory, Florence Arthaud and Pierre 1er continued to race together for several seasons.
The trimaran was later skippered by Steve Fossett (before he had the giant "Playstation" built) and went on to dominate the regatta circuit in the Nordic countries.
It changed hands in 2017 and set off for a new life in Hong Kong. After being based in the Philippines, where it was purchased with the intention of being repatriated to Europe.
Since then, she has been transported to Brittany to undergo a major refit. She is now based in La Trinité-sur-Mer, where she is available for day trips.
1994 and 1998: Primagaz won back-to-back titles with Laurent Bourgnon as skipper
Launched in 1990 under the name RMO, Primagaz has won twice under the leadership of its skipper, Laurent Bourgnon. A major player in the Orma class during its heyday, Primagaz also held the record for the longest distance sailed in 24 hours, at 540 miles. After racing with Yvan Bourgnon and then Claude Thélier, the boat is now based in the Caribbean to participate in local regattas. It is currently for sale in the Dominican Republic for ?550,000.
2002: Kingfisher with Ellen McArthur
Because of the different race courses for monohulls and multihulls, it was the IMOCA Kingfisher, skippered by Ellen MacArthur, that was the first to cross the finish line in this 7th edition. This Owen-Clarke design would go on to compete in several Vendée Globes and a multitude of transatlantic races.
The first multihull is Giant Skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux, who will arrive a few hours after Kingfisher. After several seasons with ?Le Professeur,? this VPLP-designed yacht was delivered to New Zealand in 2009, where it competed in local regattas.
2006: Gitana 11, with Lionel Lemonchois
It was on this VPLP yacht that Lionel Lemonchois took first place in 2006. Launched in 2001 under the Belgacom colors for Jean Luc Nélias, Lionel Lemonchois became its skipper as part of the Gitana team in 2004.
A true product of the ORMA class, it was lengthened in 2010 to over 23 meters so that Yann Guichard could sail it solo. Taken over by the Ultim Emotion team, it capsized in 2019 off the coast of Porto. Its hull was brought back to Saint-Malo and is expected to be incorporated into a new project soon.
2010?2014?2018: The triple crown for the best trimaran of its generation
In a first in the history of offshore racing, the same multihull has won the last three editions of the Route du Rhum. Launched by Franck Cammas in 2006 under the name Groupama, this 31.5-meter VPLP-designed boat set the North Atlantic record in 2007, won the Jules Vernes Trophy, and then the Route du Rhum in 2010.
He won the Route du Rhum again in 2014 with Loïck Peyron, sailing under the Banque Populaire colors.
Taken over by Francis Joyon in 2015, this trimaran went on to win the Jules Vernes Trophy once again, followed by the 2018 Route du Rhum, finishing ahead of the newest foiling boats. This unmatched record makes it the most successful trimaran in ocean racing, whether solo or crewed. It will once again be at the starting line for the 2026 edition, with Alexia Barrier at the helm.
2022: Gitana 17, the winning trimaran, returns in 2026 under the Actual colors
In 2022, Charles Caudrelier won the Route du Rhum aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, also known as Gitana 17. Launched in 2017, this 32-meter trimaran, designed by Guillaume Verdier and VPLP, is one of the first Ultim-class yachts developed to harness hydrofoil technology in an ?ocean racing? format.
Caudrelier completed the crossing from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre in 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds, setting a new race record. Four years later, the winning trimaran will once again be at the starting line of the 2026 Route du Rhum, this time flying the Actual colors, with Anthony Marchand at the helm. Renamed Actual Ultim 3, it has notably been fitted with a new mast as part of its preparation. Charles Caudrelier, meanwhile, will defend his title aboard Gitana 18, a new maxi-trimaran launched in 2026.
