Sailing-French duo Cammas and Laperche clinch transatlantic triumph in ULTIM class

French pair Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas mastered the Atlantic to win the ULTIM division of the Transat CAFÉ L’OR Le Havre Normandie 2025, after a duel that came down to the wire.

The pair crossed the finish line in Fort-de-France Bay at 22:13:58 local time on Wednesday, aboard SVR-Lazartigue, completing the gruelling 6,670-nautical mile double-handed race from Le Havre to Martinique in 10 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds.

Their victory came after holding off a determined late charge from fellow French sailors Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwartz aboard Sodebo, who finished second just over four hours behind. Sodebo crossed the line at 02:40 local time on Thursday with a race time of 10 days, 17 hours, 30 minutes and 9 seconds.

The course took the sailors on an epic journey across the Atlantic, including a turning mark at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul islets in the South Atlantic, before the final sprint to the Caribbean finish.

The Transat CAFÉ L’OR is a biennial Atlantic showdown that attracts the world’s leading offshore sailors across four divisions. At the cutting edge are the ULTIMs — vast, high-speed multihulls — joined by the powerhouse IMOCA fleet, the rising Ocean Fifty class, and the ever-competitive Class40s. Together, they showcase the full spectrum of modern ocean racing skill and technology.

The ULTIMs were the first boats to finish. The IMOCAs - 60ft monohulls used in the Vendee Globe and the Ocean Race - are expected to reach Martinique on Saturday. 

French pair Jeremie Beyou and Morgan Lagraviere currently lead the IMOCAs, with Britain's Sam Goodchild and France's Lois Berrehar in second. Italian-British pairing  Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris lie third. 

(Editing by Toby Davis)