Jonas Gerckens Qualifies for the 2026 Route du Rhum

Liège-born sailor Jonas Gerckens, 46, has secured his place at the start of the 2026 Route du Rhum, the legendary solo transatlantic race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. He earned his qualification by finishing the Grand Prix de France Drheam Cup — a grueling ~1,000 nautical mile solo race — on July 19, finishing 20th in a fleet of 36 Class40s with a time of 4 days, 21 hours, and 48 minutes at sea, as reported by RTBF.

A Personal Redemption Mission

This will be Gerckens’ third consecutive Route du Rhum participation, following a 14th-place finish in 2018 — the best Belgian performance at the time — and a forced abandonment in 2022 due to safety concerns. The Drheam Cup was his first solo race in four years, making the qualification particularly meaningful.

“The Route du Rhum is a race that means a lot to me,” Gerckens said in a press release. “I had the chance to finish it once in 2018, but the story didn’t end as I would have wanted in 2022. Since then, the desire to come back has never disappeared. This qualification represents much more than a sporting objective: it’s the possibility of picking up the thread of my story with this mythical race, and arriving at all costs in Guadeloupe.”

The Drheam Cup: A Grueling Qualifier

The Drheam Cup served both as a qualifying race and an intensive training session for Gerckens. The course featured heavy winds and challenging conditions early on, followed by long periods of calm that tested his patience and skill. Speaking to ClubRacer, Gerckens described the experience:

“In terms of an intensive training stage, you could hardly dream of better. I’m not going to say it was always easy, but it was super interesting! Overall, the boat is very well prepared, and there are some elements to improve for solo sailing, but the result is encouraging and helps determine the improvement points for the coming weeks.”

His boat, a Class40 named “Belgium Ocean Racing – Curium” (sail number 187), showed solid performance, though Gerckens noted areas for refinement in maneuver rhythm and strategic decision-making.

A Strong Year for Belgian Offshore Sailing

Gerckens’ qualification comes on the heels of an impressive 2026 campaign. Earlier this year, he and co-skipper Benoît Hantzberg finished 2nd overall in the Globe40, a round-the-world race in Class40, demonstrating the team’s competitive edge on the global stage.

Belgium will have a notable presence at the 2026 Route du Rhum. Alongside Gerckens, Djemila Tassin (30), a Belgian-Spanish skipper, will also compete in Class40 aboard her boat Magenta, becoming the first Belgian woman to participate in the race, as noted by Belga via La Libre.

The 2026 Route du Rhum: A Record Edition

The 13th edition of the Route du Rhum, set to start on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from Saint-Malo, will feature a record fleet of 118 skippers across multiple classes, including Ultim trimarans, IMOCA 60-foot monohulls, and the highly competitive Class40 fleet of 49 boats. The race covers approximately 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 km) across the Atlantic. The race village opens on October 20, according to BoatNews.

What’s Next

Gerckens will spend the coming months refining his boat’s solo configuration based on lessons learned from the Drheam Cup. With the Globe40 podium finish fresh in his memory and a clear determination to complete what he started in 2022, the Liège skipper is positioning himself for a strong performance in November.

For a Class40, the crossing typically takes 15 to 21 days. Gerckens’ goal is clear: to pick up where he left off in 2018 and finally reach Guadeloupe, closing the chapter on his 2022 abandonment once and for all.