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Route du Rhum: Nearly three out of four sailboats placed in 2022
The Route du Rhum provides an interesting testing ground for studying the reliability of racing sailboats. Unlike the Vendée Globe, which is reserved for IMOCA boats, this solo transatlantic race brings together boats of very different sizes, generations, and designs.
In 2022, 138 sailors set sail from Saint-Malo. At the end of the race, 103 were placed, representing 74.6% of the field. Thirty competitors withdrew, and five others were not placed.
Four years earlier, in 2018, 79 of the 123 starters were placed, or 64.2%. That race saw 42 dropouts and two late finishes.
The percentage of registered boats thus increased by more than ten percentage points between these two editions.
This trend alone does not demonstrate a corresponding improvement in mechanical reliability. Weather conditions, fleet characteristics, and racing conditions have a significant impact on the results.
In 2022, the organization postponed the start by three days due to the forecasted weather conditions. This decision altered the fleet?s exposure to low-pressure systems.
Ultim, IMOCA, Class40: Mixed Results Across the Categories
Analyzing the results by class provides further insight.
In the 2022 Route du Rhum, six of the eight Ultim boats finished the race, representing 75% of the field. In the IMOCA class, 34 of the 38 competitors reached the finish line, representing 89.5%. In the Class40 category, 37 of the 55 starters were classified, representing 67.3%.
The results of the IMOCA race are particularly interesting. Despite the sophistication of the latest-generation monohulls and the presence of many boats equipped with foils, nearly nine out of ten competitors finished the race.
Conversely, the Class40s, which are generally less complex in design, had a lower percentage of boats that qualified.
Does this mean that IMOCA boats are more reliable than Class40s? That would be jumping to conclusions. Preparation budgets, the teams? technical resources, the skippers? experience, the age of the boats, and the weather conditions encountered can all account for some of the differences.
At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a comparable finish rate
In 2025, the 24 Hours of Le Mans featured 62 cars in the Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3 classes. Forty-eight were classified at the end of the race, representing 77.4% of the starters.
This result is close to the 74.6% recorded in the 2022 Route du Rhum.
But the operating conditions for the cars are radically different. At Le Mans, the cars must withstand 24 hours of intense mechanical stress. The engines, transmissions, suspensions, brakes, and electronic systems are subjected to extreme stress, particularly during acceleration, braking, and when driving over the curbs.
However, the crews have access to round-the-clock mechanical support. At each pit stop, the teams can refuel, change tires, and perform certain technical repairs permitted by the regulations.
A car can therefore experience a mechanical failure, be repaired, and return to the track without necessarily having to retire from the race.
On the Route du Rhum, the situation is different. The skipper must carry out any necessary repairs himself, using the tools and parts on board.
He can receive remote technical advice under the conditions set forth in the regulations, but no mechanic will physically come aboard the boat in the middle of the Atlantic.
Comparing the two finish rates therefore amounts to comparing two very different operating systems: a car supported by a technical team and a sailboat whose self-sufficiency is an essential condition for success.
The Dakar Rally: More Drivers Failed to Finish Despite Possible Repairs
The Dakar Rally shares several similarities with offshore racing.
In both disciplines, competitors race over long distances in challenging environments. The vehicles must withstand repeated stress, and the crews must adjust their speed to preserve the equipment.
In 2025, 335 vehicles were authorized to start the Dakar Rally. Of those, 175 completed the entire course, or 52.2 percent.
The organization also recorded 52 vessels that reached the finish line after using re-entry devices. The proportion of races completed in their entirety is therefore significantly lower than the finish rate for the 2022 Route du Rhum.
However, Dakar vehicles are allowed to receive mechanical assistance at the bivouac, depending on their category and the applicable rules. Teams replace parts, repair transmissions, work on the suspension, and perform engine maintenance between stages.
Not all withdrawals from the Route du Rhum are due to equipment issues
In a solo transatlantic race, a withdrawal may be caused by equipment failure, but it may also result from an injury or health issue affecting the skipper, even though the boat remains seaworthy.
The 2026 Route du Rhum provides several examples. In the IMOCA class, Jeremy Beyou was forced to withdraw due to an injury, the nature of which was not specified. Ambrogio Beccaria announced his withdrawal after a serious fall in the cockpit. Suffering from severe back pain, the Italian sailor decided to head for the Azores after consulting a doctor.
In the Ocean Fifty class, Erwan Le Draoulec (Lazare x Hellio) was also forced to withdraw from the race due to a dislocated shoulder. Both of these withdrawals were due to physical injuries, not to any identified mechanical failures.
Therefore, they should not be included in the calculation of the abandonment rate due to physical damage.
Is the Route du Rhum more reliable than other motorsports?
The statistics do not support the claim that racing sailboats are mechanically more reliable than the cars in the Dakar Rally or the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, they do show that the Route du Rhum has finish rates comparable to those of major endurance auto races, despite very different constraints.
| Event | Edition | Participants | Ranked or Full Courses | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route du Rhum | 2018 | 123 | 79 | 64.2% |
| Route du Rhum | 2022 | 138 | 103 | 74.6% |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans | 2025 | 62 | 48 | 77.4% |
| Dakar | 2025 | 335 | 175 | 52.2% |
In 2022, nearly three out of four competitors completed the solo transatlantic race without the possibility of physical mechanical assistance at sea. At Le Mans, cars receive regular pit stops, while at the Dakar Rally, vehicles can be repaired between stages. On the Route du Rhum, the skipper must handle any damage on his own using the resources on board.
But above all, not all withdrawals are due to mechanical failure. An injury to the sailor, a health issue, or a collision with a floating object can bring a race to an end even though the boat remains technically operational. Conversely, some skippers manage to finish despite having repaired several damages at sea.
