Route du Rhum 2026

Our senior reporter Brieuc Maisonneuve recently had the chance to sail aboard: “I had the chance to take part in the Nuit des Îles du Ponant aboard Damien Seguin’s ORMA Arkéa – Handicap International. A legendary trimaran, born in 1990 with Mike Birch, which subsequently enjoyed its glory years in the hands of Loïck Peyron, Jean-Luc Nélias and Bertrand de Broc. More than thirty-five years after she was launched, however, the adventure is far from over. Next November, she will return to the Atlantic and the 2026 Route du Rhum, sailed by another major figure in sailing: Damien Seguin.”

From Mike Birch to Damien Seguin

Designed by Nigel Irens and launched in March 1990 as Velvia de Fujichrome for Mike Birch, the trimaran entered the Route du Rhum that same year. She finished fourth, behind Florence Arthaud, Philippe Poupon and Laurent Bourgnon. Renamed Fujicolor II, she won the Trophée des Multicoques the following year before beginning a particularly successful period with Loïck Peyron.

Peyron notably won the OSTAR aboard her in 1992 and again in 1996, as well as several Trophées des Multicoques and Courses de l’Europe. Fujicolor II also secured the ORMA titles in 1997 and 1998, with the latter season proving particularly impressive as the trimaran won every Grand Prix in the championship.

This longevity naturally came with numerous developments. As early as 1992, the trimaran received a canting wing mast and her deck layout was simplified. Foils appeared on the floats the following year, while sail area increased. The bows of the floats were subsequently refined, the daggerboard lengthened and the rig continued to evolve. After being dismasted in 2002, the trimaran even received a mast from Francis Joyon’s former Eure-et-Loir - Lorenove.
Having subsequently sailed under the colors of Belgacom, Banque Covefi, Academy and then Yasasin, among others, the trimaran returned to France at the end of 2025 for a complete refit at Éole Performance. The structure, electronics, energy and safety systems were upgraded, along with ergonomic adaptations for Damien Seguin and the integration of solutions using natural fibers. Relaunched in early May, she was officially christened Arkéa - Handicap International in Brest on June 23, with none other than Loïck Peyron as godfather, accompanied by Paralympic champion Marie-Amélie Le Fur. A rather nice way to come full circle, isn’t it?

The ORMAs Return to Action

Arkéa – Handicap International will certainly not be alone on the start line in Saint-Malo. For this Route du Rhum, the Vintage Multi category promises to bring part of offshore racing’s recent history back to life: Francis Joyon, Éric Péron and Gilles Lamiré are also among the announced skippers aboard former ORMA trimarans. It promises to be a very special confrontation between machines designed in an era when power and light weight took precedence over many other considerations, yet which remain capable of impressive performance more than twenty years after the ORMA circuit disappeared.

For Brieuc Maisonneuve, this first sail aboard the former Fujicolor II therefore provides a foretaste of a feature we will develop in the next issue of Multihulls World: the return of these fabulous machines to the Route du Rhum. And this time, it will no longer simply be a matter of recounting their legend: they will once again have crossed the start line…

Arkéa – Handicap International: A 1990 ORMA Still in the Game

©Vince Valstar

Architect: Nigel Irens
Launched: March 1990
Length Overall: 60' (18.28 m)
Beam: 51'6" (15.7 m)
Draft: 12'6" (3.8 m)
Displacement: 6.4 t
Mast Height: 92'10" (28.3 m)
Upwind Sail Area: 2,852 sq ft (265 m²)
Downwind Sail Area: 4,801 sq ft (446 m²)
Construction: Carbon/epoxy
Builders: Captain Flint/Capel/Lejeloux/Seatec
Original Names: Velvia de Fujichrome, then Fujicolor II
Current Name: Arkéa – Handicap International

Damien Seguin: From the 2.4 mR to an Ocean-Racing Trimaran

Born in 1979 and raised in Guadeloupe, Damien Seguin knows the Route du Rhum’s destination particularly well: he recalls watching the finish of the 1990 edition when he was around ten years old. Thirty-six years later, there is a pleasing twist to the story, as the boat he will sail to Pointe-à-Pitre is the very one aboard which Mike Birch finished fourth that year.

Born without a left hand, Damien Seguin first built an outstanding record in the 2.4 mR: Paralympic champion in Athens in 2004 and Rio in 2016, silver medalist in Beijing in 2008 and five-time world champion. At the same time, he moved into offshore racing, from the Figaro to Class40 before joining the IMOCA fleet.

In 2021, he became the first sailor with a disability to complete the Vendée Globe solo, nonstop and without assistance, finishing an impressive 7th. He completed his second Vendée Globe in 2025, finishing 15th. The 2026 Route du Rhum will be his fifth participation in the race; he notably finished 6th in the IMOCA class in 2018, while his 2022 edition ended in retirement following a collision and dismasting.
Multihulls are not entirely new territory for the skipper: he has notably sailed in the Ocean Fifty class with Thibaut Vauchel-Camus.