Explainer
How did a first-time skipper win the Route du Rhum at record pace?
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Tom Laperche left Saint-Malo and crossed the finish at Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, winning on his first start in the race.
Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre
The fleet set off on 1 November. Armel Le Cléac'h, who was chasing him, capsized on 4 November and was rescued by a cargo ship. Laperche finished first on 7 November, winning the race.
- 1 NovemberFleet leaves Saint-Malo
- 4 NovemberLe Cléac'h capsizes
- 7 NovemberLaperche finishes
He led the fleet from the first miles and held the lead to the finish. He covered the course in six days, thirteen hours and twenty-seven minutes, against Charles Caudrelier's six days, nineteen hours and forty-seven minutes. He beat that record by 6 hours.
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Tom Laperche wins Route du Rhum on his debut with record time of 6 days 13 hoursRead the article
Based on reports by
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