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Two set-ups just a few weeks before Saint-Malo
The list of competitors for the 2026 Route du Rhum is shrinking as the start approaches. Thomas Ruyant announced that he would not be in Saint-Malo on November 1, having been unable to secure a partnership that would allow him to compete in the race under the desired conditions. The Geodis project has also withdrawn, with its organizers citing a lack of time, funding, and partners.
Thomas Ruyant's withdrawal is particularly noticeable from a sporting perspective. The TR Racing skipper had won the 2022 Route du Rhum in the IMOCA class and was therefore set to defend his title this year. He was still listed among the 26 IMOCA boats announced by the organizers in the spring.
Yet his team had successfully completed another major project: the construction of a new IMOCA designed by Antoine Koch and built at CDK Technologies. Launched on June 18, 2026, the boat is part of a program that shares some of its design elements with the new IMOCAs built for Boris Herrmann and Loïs Berrehar.
However, the skipper is not giving up on his IMOCA project. His plan now focuses on the upcoming races on the circuit and, in the longer term, the 2028 Vendée Globe.
Geodis: A Restored Boat, but a Project Lacking Funds
Geodis?s case is very different. Antoine Brunet and Caroline Da Silva had spent several months restoring this former 60-foot Finot from 1994, winner of the 1994?1995 BOC Challenge and then the 1996?1997 Vendée Globe with Christophe Auguin.
Launched again in late August in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône following extensive repairs, the monohull had been awarded a wild card to compete in the Route du Rhum. It was scheduled to race in the Vintage Mono class, rather than in the current IMOCA fleet.
The schedule remained particularly tight. After being relaunched, the boat still had to reach the Atlantic coast so that Antoine Brunet could log the miles needed to qualify. The project relied heavily on the personal resources of its leaders, supplemented by material support and several partners. The search for funding was still ongoing in the final days.
Antoine Brunet and Caroline Da Silva have finally decided to halt their preparations for this Route du Rhum, explicitly citing a lack of time and financial resources. The boat, however, is expected to continue sailing as part of a project with a less demanding schedule.
