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Armel Le Cléac'h Rescued After the Banque Populaire XI Capsized
This was the major event of the fourth day. On Wednesday, November 4, around 5:30 a.m., Armel Le Cléac'h capsized aboard his Maxi Banque Populaire XI while in second place in the Ultim class.
The accident occurred about 550 miles northwest of the Azores. The sailor activated his distress beacon before taking shelter inside his trimaran.
Several ships were diverted to come to his aid. The skipper was eventually rescued by a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship. Safe and sound, he is now en route to the United States, where he is scheduled to disembark.
Francis Joyon was also rescued by a commercial vessel. Matthieu Perraut and his Ocean Fifty Elvest, meanwhile, were joined by the rescue team led by Adrien Hardy, who are currently attempting to right the trimaran.
New damage is causing ships to be abandoned
Multihulls aren't the only ones affected. In the Class40 category, Alexis Loison was also forced to retire after damaging his starboard rudder in a collision with an unidentified object. The skipper of Groupe REEL headed for Port-la-Forêt, bringing his transatlantic race to a premature end.
Violette Dorange and Romain Pilliard are trying to get back on track
For some sailors, the hope of reaching Guadeloupe remains alive. After their collision early in the race, Violette Dorange and Romain Pilliard are continuing their repairs ashore.
The 25-year-old sailor arrived in Lorient with her IMOCA, Initiatives-C?ur. Her boat was taken out of the water to begin repairs expected to take eight or nine days. She has set November 15 as the deadline for returning to sea. Meanwhile, Romain Pilliard is working with his team in Roscoff. Still officially in the race, he hopes to be able to set sail again soon.
Tom Laperche remains in the lead, but is keeping an eye on the weather
While more and more boats are dropping out, Tom Laperche continues to lead the Ultim class aboard the SVR Lazartigue.
The sailor has a significant lead over his competitors, but the rest of his crossing is not expected to be easy. A tropical depression is in his path, bringing the risk of strong winds, squalls, and thunderstorms.
In this context, the skipper must strike a balance between pursuing speed and protecting his trimaran. The capsizings that have occurred since the start highlight the importance of these decisions.
The goal remains to maintain his lead without unnecessarily putting the boat at risk before the second leg of the transatlantic race.
Ocean Fifty: Basile Bourgnon Extends His Lead
In the Ocean Fifty class, Basile Bourgnon remains in the lead aboard Edenred. As of the 9 p.m. update, he holds an 87.6-mile lead over Pierre Quiroga (WeWise) in second place, while Léonard Legrand (Sodebo Fifty) is in third place, 91.4 miles behind.
Baptiste Hulin (Viabilis Oceans) remains in contention, in 4th place, 101.9 miles behind the leader, ahead of Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton by Delanchy), in 5th. While Bourgnon has a comfortable lead, the battle remains tight among his pursuers, with only 14 miles separating second and fourth place.
Corentin Horeau Confirms His Place in the IMOCA Class
In the IMOCA class, Corentin Horeau is off to a strong start in the Route du Rhum. Aboard MACSF, he held first place in the standings as of the evening of November 4, ahead of Boris Herrmann and Francesca Clapcich.
This is all the more impressive given that he is competing in his first solo transatlantic race on an IMOCA.
Behind him, the gaps remain heavily influenced by weather conditions. Some competitors are having to contend with areas of light wind, while others are taking advantage of more favorable conditions to make up ground.
Maxime Sorel, who is in the leading group, is having trouble keeping his foil in the lowered position. The skipper has begun repairs at sea in an effort to restore proper functionality.
The race is far from over
Four days in, the 2026 Route du Rhum already looks very different from how it did at the start in Saint-Malo.
Withdrawals have reshuffled the deck, particularly among the Ultim teams. But the standings are still likely to change depending on upcoming disruptions and strategic choices.
For the competitors still at sea, the priority is now twofold: to take advantage of the weather conditions to make headway toward Guadeloupe and to go easy on their boats, which have already been pushed to their limits.
Tom Laperche and Corentin Horeau have taken the lead in their respective categories. It remains to be seen how they will handle the rest of a crossing that, so far, has given the solo sailors little respite.
