French sailor Tom Laperche crossed the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 22:31 local

French sailor Tom Laperche crossed the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, at 22:31 local time after six days and 13 hours of solo racing across the Atlantic Ocean, Il Post reported.

Laperche, 29, secured a new record for the Route du Rhum in the Ultim multihull class, according to race reports. He completed the transoceanic course from Saint-Malo, Brittany, covering more than 6,500 kilometers to the French overseas territory in the Caribbean.

Laperche trimmed the previous event record set by fellow countryman Charles Caudrelier during the 2022 edition, which stood at six days and 19 hours. Il Post noted that Laperche finished more than 700 kilometers ahead of his closest competitor in the Ultim category, Thomas Coville.

The Route du Rhum was established in 1978 and takes place every four years. Sailors frequently refer to the competition as the Olympics of ocean-crossing sailing due to its rigorous demands.

Organizers divide the race fleet into six different boat categories, spanning both monohulls and multihulls. Ultim boats represent the largest and fastest vessels in the fleet, measuring 32 meters long and about 23 meters wide with speeds exceeding 90 kilometers per hour.

A total of 115 participants entered this edition of the race, including 11 women and six Italian sailors. Among the Italian contingent, Ambrogio Beccaria withdrew from the competition following an injury and began his return journey toward the Azores archipelago, Il Post reported.

The inaugural 1978 edition featured just 36 participating boats. The winner of that first race completed the crossing in 23 days, six hours, 59 minutes and 35 seconds.

Participants face severe environmental hurdles along the course, ranging from heavy winds and storms to the intense fatigue of solo sailing and equipment failures that frequently force competitors to retire.