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Twenty-seven minutes ahead after fourteen days of racing
Achille Nebout crossed the finish line of the 2026 Route du Rhum in Pointe-à-Pitre on Sunday, November 15, at 9:04 a.m. local time, after 14 days, 1 hour, and 2 minutes at sea. Guillaume Pirouelle ( Sogestran-Seafrigo ) finished second, 27 minutes later.
The outcome, however, remained uncertain for a long time. Having led for seven days, Nebout still held an 18-mile lead as he passed Tête à l'Anglais, north of Guadeloupe. But the wind shifts caused by the terrain of Basse-Terre nearly wiped out that lead entirely. By Sunday morning, Pirouelle had closed the gap to just a few tenths of a mile, forcing the leader to defend his position all the way to the finish line.
A Class40 that has already won with Yoann Richomme
This victory has one distinctive feature: Amarris is the former Paprec Arkéa with which Yoann Richomme won the 2022 Route du Rhum. Achille Nebout acquired this Lombard design after the race, with the goal of preparing for the 2026 edition.
Over the next four years, the skipper got to know his boat better and developed his racing strategy. The campaign was marked in particular by a dismasting during the 2025 Normandy Channel Race, but also by several successes with his crew.
In 2024, Nebout won the Québec-Saint-Malo with Gildas Mahé and Alan Roberts, despite breaking the starboard rudder during the crossing. A few months later, he also won the Med Max with Gildas Mahé. These two results confirmed his progress in Class40 ahead of the Route du Rhum.
From the Mediterranean to Ocean Racing
A native of the Hérault region, Achille Nebout discovered sailing along the Mediterranean coast, particularly at the Carnon sailing club. After years of sailing dinghies and one-design boats, he turned his attention to offshore racing and the Figaro Series.
He competed in his first Solitaire du Figaro in 2019, before gaining more experience in the Class40 series. In particular, he competed in two Transat Jacques Vabre races, with Kito de Pavant in 2019 and then with Luke Berry in 2021.
His victory in Pointe-à-Pitre marks the culmination of a project that began four years earlier. It also confirms that a Class40 that has already won can remain competitive for several seasons, provided it undergoes proper preparation and the crew has a thorough understanding of the boat.
With this victory, Achille Nebout joins the list of Route du Rhum Class40 winners, alongside Phil Sharp, Thomas Ruyant, Alex Pella, and Yoann Richomme.
