Route du Rhum 2026 preview: the biggest solo race in the world | The Foil Podcast Ep 44

Well, then that you're the perfect person to tell us all about it and to try and spread the word so that, you know, more people are following it over the next couple of weeks.

So, first of all, give us the basics, Marcus.

What is the Route de Rhum and why is it such a big deal in France?

Well, the Route du Rhum, in simplistic terms, is a single-handed race non-stop from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, which is the capital of Guadeloupe, which is one of the French Caribbean islands.

So 3,000 some hundred miles.

It happens every four years.

I think this is the 13th edition.

I can't remember exactly.

And it always happens at this time of year.

The start is always this time of year, the start of all of the big French offshore races at this time of year, late October, early November.

And that is because of the mix of the sort of public entertainment and village situation, because we are in the equivalent of half term.

So all French schools have two weeks off at this time of year.

So we're in the second week of half term right now effectively which means that all of the kids get bundled off to their grandparents or the parents have to look after their kids and they take them out and go and show them things and if there's big events going on well that's an obvious attraction and so the public village is a huge part of these races and obviously not only because it's a great spectacle, but obviously, there's a commercial angle behind this.

And over the last 13 editions, so since the 70s, you know, the professional book, dare I say, the commercial side of offshore racing has become, I would say, big business compared to Formula One, but definitely a very important part of French coastal town life, basically.

Marcus, I'm really surprised to hear that you bring up the kids half term as the reason why this race starts now.

I didn't realise that was such a big factor because we've only just come out of Storm Austin and then further north in the UK where I am in Yorkshire, Storm Buelow.

I think it's going to miss the English channel, but we're in storm season.

But you're saying that the Route de Rhum and other races of its ilk start at this time because that's when the kids have half term.

Yet it seems to be sending the fleet into the Bay of Biscay at one of the most hazardous times of the year.

Is that a problem?

Well, there's many reasons.

I'm being a bit flippant and simplistic about it.

But the reality is that for climatic reasons, we're in the hurricane season still here for the Caribbean.

And so you can't race across the Atlantic Ocean.

um any any earlier than this uh because uh because it's hurricane season although this year has been very light on hurricanes i think we've had them more on this this side but uh um we can't you can't get insurance for for boats not that not that a lot of these boats are insured but you can't get insurance for these boats to sail into the caribbean um in in um uh early November, basically, because it's still the hurricane season.

Well, then that you're the perfect person to tell us all about it and to try and spread the word so that, you know, more people are following it over the next couple of weeks.

So, first of all, give us the basics, Marcus.

What is the Route de Rhum and why is it such a big deal in France?

Well, the Route du Rhum, in simplistic terms, is a single-handed race non-stop from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, which is the capital of Guadeloupe, which is one of the French Caribbean islands.

So 3,000 some hundred miles.

It happens every four years.

I think this is the 13th edition.

I can't remember exactly.

And it always happens at this time of year.

The start is always this time of year, the start of all of the big French offshore races at this time of year, late October, early November.

And that is because of the mix of the sort of public entertainment and village situation, because we are in the equivalent of half term.

So all French schools have two weeks off at this time of year.

So we're in the second week of half term right now effectively which means that all of the kids get bundled off to their grandparents or the parents have to look after their kids and they take them out and go and show them things and if there's big events going on well that's an obvious attraction and so the public village is a huge part of these races and obviously not only because it's a great spectacle, but obviously, there's a commercial angle behind this.

And over the last 13 editions, so since the 70s, you know, the professional book, dare I say, the commercial side of offshore racing has become, I would say, big business compared to Formula One, but definitely a very important part of French coastal town life, basically.

Marcus, I'm really surprised to hear that you bring up the kids half term as the reason why this race starts now.

I didn't realise that was such a big factor because we've only just come out of Storm Austin and then further north in the UK where I am in Yorkshire, Storm Buelow.

I think it's going to miss the English channel, but we're in storm season.

But you're saying that the Route de Rhum and other races of its ilk start at this time because that's when the kids have half term.

Yet it seems to be sending the fleet into the Bay of Biscay at one of the most hazardous times of the year.

Is that a problem?

Well, there's many reasons.

I'm being a bit flippant and simplistic about it.

But the reality is that for climatic reasons, we're in the hurricane season still here for the Caribbean.

And so you can't race across the Atlantic Ocean.

um any any earlier than this uh because uh because it's hurricane season although this year has been very light on hurricanes i think we've had them more on this this side but uh um we can't you can't get insurance for for boats not that not that a lot of these boats are insured but you can't get insurance for these boats to sail into the caribbean um in in um uh early November, basically, because it's still the hurricane season.