The Route du Rhum sets sail on November 1, 2026. But 39 days earlier, another starting line comes to life. It belongs to the Warm-up by Alpina, a virtual prologue created with Alpina, Official Timekeeper of the Route du Rhum. Its goal: to get competitors race-ready before the main event.
Registration is open. The start, meanwhile, is set for September 23. In between, there is plenty of time to test your boat and fine-tune your weather strategy. What's more, it is the perfect chance to get your hand in before the real race.
A loop from Saint-Malo, aboard the Ocean Fifty
The Warm-up is sailed aboard an Ocean Fifty dressed in Alpina colours. The course forms a loop starting and finishing in Saint-Malo, rounding the tip of Finistère along the way.
Expect around 1,000 miles, or roughly a week of racing. In short, it is the ideal distance to find your bearings, without committing to the ten days of a transatlantic crossing.
Round it or cross it: the choice that changes everything
First of all, the course signature: a simple, graphic idea. The Alpina logo itself is drawn to the scale of the Bay of Biscay. It sits on the ocean like a zone to be negotiated. A central buoy marks the mark, to be rounded clockwise.
Then comes the choice that shapes the entire race. You can cut straight through the zone. Your speed will drop to around 30% of normal. On the other hand, you can also play the long way round, at full speed. Neither option is the right one by default. It all depends on the weather at the time.
Alpina, Official Timekeeper, with prizes to be won
The Warm-up flies the colours of Alpina, Official Timekeeper of the 2026 Route du Rhum.
The brand is also present on the water as well as in the game. The Ocean Fifty skin used in the race takes its cue from Alpina's graphic codes. The link between watchmaking and offshore racing is about far more than a logo. Timing a crossing or a virtual regatta calls for exactly the same precision.
That closeness translates into prizes. Four Alpina watches and virtual Route du Rhum full packs are up for grabs:
- 1st in the rankings an Alpina watch, a full pack and an experience in Saint-Malo. On the programme: access to the Route du Rhum village, a meeting with an ambassador and a visit aboard the boat. Travel and accommodation costs remain the winner's responsibility
- 13th : an Alpina watch and a full pack;
- 513th : an Alpina watch and a full pack. That ranking is no accident: it echoes the watch's limited edition of 513 pieces;
- and finally, a prize draw among all finishers: an Alpina watch and a full pack.
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