ROUTE DU RHUM – DESTINATION GUADELOUPE: TRANSATLANTIC RACE GETS READY TO SET SAIL

The the World’s largest and most celebrated STAR is preparing to depart from Saint-Malo, Brittany with a lively program of events at the Route du Rhum Village.

POINTE-à-PITRE, FRANCE, GUADELOUPE, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 13th edition of the Route-du-Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, the world’s largest and most celebrated solo transatlantic sailing race, is preparing to depart from Saint-Malo, Brittany, France. From 20 October to 1 November, the historic port city in Brittany will host a lively programme of events at the Route-du-Rhum Village, welcoming sailors, supporters and visitors from around the world.

On Sunday, 1st November 2026 at 1:02pm (CET), an expected 118 competitors representing 12 nationalities will set sail from Saint-Malo on a legendary ocean adventure. The theoretical straight-line to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe is more than 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 km). While in practice, the journey will be considerably longer as skippers navigate shifting winds, powerful currents and changing weather systems. Sailing alone across the Atlantic, competitors may spend up to a month at sea.

Held every four years since 1978, the Route-du-Rhum is the World’s leading Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) in the World. It is open to six classes of monohull and multihull boats, including the IMOCA 60 class. At the far end of the Route, beyond the horizon, lies Guadeloupe—ready to welcome sailors and visitors with the warmth and spirit that have defined the French Caribbean islands for generations.

The Route-du-Rhum is about far more than a contest at sea. The race constitutes a bridge between histories and generations, cultures and expertise, talents and initiatives, people and regions. The event provides an opportunity to reconnect, share experiences and celebrate the links that unite communities across the Atlantic. Guadeloupe’s maritime heritage, from traditional sailing and canot saintois racing to offshore competition, remains vibrant, with a new generation of not less than seven Guadeloupean sailors will be carrying the islands’ colours across the ocean.

A VILLAGE CELEBRATING GUADELOUPE
From 20 October to 1 November, the Route-du-Rhum Village of 950-square-metre (more than 10,000 square-feet) will welcome visitors at the main Quai of Saint-Malo. The Guadeloupe pavilion brings together nearly 50 companies from the archipelago alongside a stand from the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, dedicated to its culture, gastronomy and tourism. Around two million visitors are expected at the village over the two-week period.

Designed as an immersive introduction to the islands, the pavilion showcases Guadeloupe’s creativity, expertise and distinctive identity through local craftsmanship, gastronomy, heritage, entrepreneurship and innovation. Visitors can explore a Creole market featuring processed agrifood products, art and handicrafts; sample the archipelago’s street-food specialties, including the renowned Bokits (local type of stuffed Johnny Cakes), Accras (Fish fritters) and Coconut sorbet; and discover the wide varieties of Rum and Spirits from producers from across the Islands of Guadeloupe, including the Bologne distillery, the race’s main Rum partner. Tourist offices and partner airline Corsair will also provide information for prospective visitors.

A vibrant schedule of events includes cooking demonstrations by award-winning Chef Jean-Rony Leriche, live concerts, cultural performances, exhibitions, documentary screenings and tourism conferences relating to the blue economy and culture. Cultural groups from Guadeloupe, including Le Saint-Félix, Daddy Yod, as well as Leïla Chicot will perform at village. The main-stage programme includes a carnival evening with Donzèl and carnival group Maskaklé will present a photographic exhibition at the Bidouane Tower, while a kids’ area will add to the family programme.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES AND BUILDING CONNECTIONS
For the exhibitors from Guadeloupe, the Route-du-Rhum village offers an opportunity to showcase their products, make sales and build relationships with distributors in the French and wider European markets. Some are experienced participants at major events such as the Paris Fair and the Agricultural Show; others are attending for the first time. They include Caraïbe Fumé, specialising in smoked fish; Nautique Blue Caraïb, which promotes boating to a broad range of people, including those with reduced mobility; and artisan ice-cream maker Eddy William. Guadeloupe’s Rum producers, whose unique Rhum Agricole is exported as far as Japan, can also use the event to consolidate distribution agreements.

A LASTING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN SAINT-MALO AND GUADELOUPE
The Route-du-Rhum also brings together two regions with a longstanding relationship. Across successive editions, Guadeloupe and Saint-Malo have developed a partnership rooted in cultural and economic exchange. The Route-du-Rhum village is a meeting place for Guadeloupeans living in Paris and elsewhere in mainland France, as well as families of Guadeloupean skippers and institutions from the archipelago, who travel to Saint-Malo for the departure on 1st November 2026.

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Jo Spalburg
CMP
+44 7808 585515
md@caribbeanmediapr.com

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