17th TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie The full story

The race itself was full of twists and turns, and in each category, the contenders delivered a top-level performance. Four duos emerged as the winners:

• Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas (SVR Lazartigue, ULTIM),
• Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière (Charal, IMOCA),
• Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel (Viabilis Océans, OCEAN FIFTY),
• Guillaume Pirouelle and Cedric Chateau (Seafrigo-Sogestran, CLASS40)

names that join those already etched on the historical plaques set in the walkways round the Paul Vatine basin in Le Havre.

The brilliance of these duos would be nothing without the talent and hard work of the supporting crews and a few brilliant and unexpected routings which seemed to defy the predictions. As the finish line closed on Monday, November 24, at 8:00 AM in Martinique (1:00 PM in Paris), it's time to take stock of this 17th edition.

The Atlantic is never easy.

Every two years since 1993, the Coffee Route has served as a reminder that in autumn, the Atlantic Ocean remains a tough challenge. It can become treacherous when 74 boats race out of the English Channel. And it can be tricky when they try to race too fast into the trade winds. In short, on its 17th edition, and as on several occasions in the past, the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie, the quintessential multi-class race, had to adapt to fulfil its commitment and give everyone the best possible chance of reaching the finish line, racing all the way to Martinique. An earlier start for the Ocean Fifty, a two-stage race for the Class40s, a shortened course for the ULTIMs. No matter! It's worth noting that 74 tandems set off from Le Havre and 63 finished in Fort-de-France, an 85% success rate, slightly higher than in 2023 for this edition, which saw only 10 retirements, 7 of them in the Class40 category.

Martinique Horizon brought the race to a close, crossing the finish line Sunday, November 23rd at 13:41 PM (UTC). And that was a powerful symbol, a redemption for Jean-Yves Aglaé, who, partnered this year with Moane Mangattale, completed the course within the time limit. A victory for both of them.

This 17th edition also saw the strongest female participation in the race's history, with 18 entries, including five all-female tandems. And women shone on this race. In the IMOCA class there were female co-skippers on four of the top eight boats. Italian American Francesca Clapcich made history with her second-place finish in the IMOCA class, as did Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux, who finished fifth. In the Ocean Fifty class, Anne Claire Le Berre and Switzerland’s Elodie-Jane Mettraux completed the course, their first time sailing a multihull. And in Class40, we salute the fine performance of the Cap pour Elles duo. On Engie-Dessine-moi la Hight Tech, Aina Bauza Roig and Axelle Pillain finished in an impressive 20th place, coming 17th in the second stage in a tight group of women, with Irishwoman Pamela Lee, winner of the Cap pour Elles program two years ago and partnered in 2025 with American Jay Thompson, finishing behind them. Sacha Lanièce/Sanni Beuck complete this trio, finishing 19th in the second stage and 18th overall.

ULTIM: A First and a Record

They were among the favorites for this Coffee Route, sailing a boat that had reached its peak after already finishing second twice in Fort-de-France in 2021 and 2023. Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas were unbeatable this year, and yet their three rivals spared no effort. While the damage suffered by the defending champions Maxi Banque Populaire XI the day after the start deprived Laperche and Cammas of their strongest competitor on paper, they notably had to keep Sodebo Ultim 3 (Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwartz) at bay, a boat that was very aggressive throughout the race and secured a very impressive second place. Untouchable upwind on the leg to Madeira, a point of sail where the aerodynamics of SVR Lazartigue put it head and shoulders above the rest, they patiently racked up the miles to build a comfortable lead and then avoided all the pitfalls of the course. Having stalled at the entrance to the Doldrums, they emerged from it in the best position, benefiting from their westerly position. This year's weather equator was long and complicated, notably putting Armel Le Cléac'h and Sébastien Josse through the wringer 24 hours later… SVR Lazartigue's lead peaked at nearly 200 miles as they passed the San Pedro and San Paolo archipelago at the entrance to the Southern Hemisphere, and on the long final downwind leg, they controlled their pursuers to secure the victory. This is the first major ULTIM win for Tom Laperche, and the fifth Route du Café victory for Franck Cammas, all of them sailing a multihull, and who now holds the record. He noted upon finishing: “Tom has his whole life ahead of him, the talent and the discipline to be a great champion, and he already is one. When I watch him, I feel like I'm watching myself, with the same focus.” As in 2023, 100% of the ULTIM fleet finished the race, a sign of a class that has reached maturity.

IMOCA: Willpower and Talent

Really held in the Eastern Atlantic to the Canary Islands because of the odd weather systems, before heading west towards Martinique, the IMOCA race didn't produce any major strategic breakthroughs, but it was of unparalleled sporting intensity. Between Le Havre and Fort-de-France, there were eight lead changes. While Charal clearly proved superior in the trade winds, a wind range specifically optimised for by the duo Jérémie Beyou and Morgan Lagravière, notably with a gennaker specially cut for this point of sail, the battle for a definitive lead was fierce.

Upwind on the descent of the Atlantic, the Manuard design, conceived in 2022 and still seeking a major victory in the Le Havre race, fought at the front with Macif Santé Prévoyance, very comfortable in this conditions, as well as Allagrande Mapei and 11th Hour Racing. The climax of this battle was reached between Madeira and the Canary Islands when the IMOCAs slowed considerably in a complex ridge of high pressure, taking them close to the African coast. Light conditions proved challenging for Charal and its medium-breeze-oriented sail plan, while delighting some outsiders like Team Snef-TeamWork and especially 11th Racing. Undoubtedly, the mixed double-handed crew of Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris on the former Malizia was one of the sensations of this Coffee Route, even taking the lead for over 24 hours before the final downwind leg. On this stretch, they couldn't long resist the late charge of Macif Santé Prévoyance, before overtaking them on the arrival in Martinique to finish in second place! In the end, Charal won decisively by nearly six hours. This is the second victory for Jérémie Beyou, rewarded for his tenacity on a boat he designed differently, and the third consecutive win for Morgan Lagravière, another record on this Coffee Route for this unassuming yet brilliant sailor. 100% of the IMOCAs finished the race, but with considerable gaps and stories that revealed the harshness of these boats, such as that of Mathieu Blanchard, the ultra-trail runner who will long remember his baptism of fire in a 60-footer alongside Conrad Colman!

OCEAN FIFTY: A hard-fought race

Setting off the day before the other classes started to avoid the worst of the bad weather in the English Channel, the Ocean Fifty boats were caught off guard in the first 12 hours of the race with three consecutive capsizes between the Cotentin Peninsula and Ushant. Fortunately they suffered no injuries and no real damage other than to equipment, which raises questions and serves as a reminder that an autumn transatlantic race remains a high-risk undertaking for these lightweight multihulls. While the leaders admitted to being mentally affected by their fellow competitors' misfortunes, no one truly faltered between Brittany and Martinique, neither during the Atlantic crossing nor in the trade winds that marked the end of the race. It was a thrilling race, with three boats each having their moment in the spotlight: Wewise (Pierre Quiroga and Gaston Morvan) throughout the descent to Madeira; Edenred 5 (Emmanuel Le Roch and Basile Bourgnon) in the Canary Islands and in the trade winds until a technical failure relegated them to the sidelines two days from the finish, when they were widely believed to have already secured victory; and finally, the unexpected Viabilis Ocean. Taking advantage of Wewise's strategic choice, the duo of Baptiste Hulin and Thomas Rouxel triumphed brilliantly. And it's Le Rire Médecin Lamotte (Luke Berry-Antoine Joubert) on another older-generation Ocean Fifty that completes the podium. The podium duos finished within thirty minutes in this class where the well-optimised and updated older trimarans remain competitive. Mon Bonnet Rose, bringing up the rear, finishes less than 24 hours after the winner, confirming the homogeneity of the fleet, at 10 boats the largest in the class's history on the Coffee Route, which now needs to rebuild.

CLASS40: The Naval Battle

Their Coffee Route was sailed over two legs with a four-day stopover in La Coruña to protect the largest fleet (42 boats) from bad weather, the Class40 category could have been forgotten in this 2025 edition. On the contrary, it emerges stronger from an exciting second leg with two radical North or South options, on a playing field that has never seemed so vast. With only 21 minutes separating the two leaders in A Coruña, we might have thought the slate was wiped clean at the start in A Coruña on November 1st. Sixteen days later, however, Guillaume Pirouelle and Cédric Chateau (Seafrigo Sogestran) started the clock at the finish line, before embracing in a geat moment of victory. They beat SNSM Faites un Don!, winner of the first leg, by only 7 minutes on the combined time of the two legs. The victory is as sweet for the Normans, who believed in their southern route and took their revenge for the 2023 edition, as it is cruel for Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin, who led for a long time in the north. The latter sailed the shortest and toughest route of the Coffee Route. Their SNSM Faites un Don! boat had a lead of up to 400 miles before losing it all in the high pressure systems of the mid-Atlantic, only to make a comeback towards the end. A transatlantic race experienced as an emotional rollercoaster, with William Mathelin Moreaux and Pietro Luciani (Les Invincibles) brilliantly completing the podium.

These performances shouldn't overshadow the very high level of competition throughout the top half of the rankings, where the regatta was fiercely contested. Talents like Michel Desjoyeaux and

Vincent Riou, relegated beyond twentieth place, are a prime example. Also marked by numerous retirements, including a dismasting, the Class40 race saw the largest gaps in performance. Expected in Fort-de-France on Tuesday morning, Rêve à perte de vue will not be ranked, but its crew, competing under the banner of inclusion (Joël Paris is visually impaired), provides a fine example of tenacity in this class where the transatlantic race remains open to amateur projects.

Ranking of the 4 classes available here