Basic rules

The class three major groups of rules:^[1]

• irremovable rules:
  • 24 to 32 m in length,
  • 23 m in maximum width,
  • guard at sea greater than or equal to 1.70 m (for vessels launched after the first of January 2015),
  • air draught not exceeding 120% of the largest length of hull found on the vessel;
• rules that can be modified every four years (monitoring committee, group of experts, engine power, anchorages, adjustment of hull mobile appendages, skipper qualification method, etc.);
• rules that can be modified every year, i.e. all those that are not part of the rules that are irremovable or modifiable every four years.

Comparable boats outside of the rules

• Sails of Change (former Banque Populaire V)
• MOD70

Creation of the Ultime Class

In June 2015, an Ultim Collective formed around the Team Banque Populaire, Macif and Sodebo teams. They decided that the overall length should be between 23 meters (minimum) and 32 meters (maximum), which excludes the MOD 70 and Spindrift 2. The Mod 70 class boats, at 21.2-meters LOA, falls short of the class minimum. Spindrift 2, originally Banque Populaire V, at 40 meters LOA, exceeds the maximum permissible LOA for the class.

The Class Ultim 32/23 (maximum length 32 meters / maximum width 23 meters) was approved by the French Sailing Federation on 29 January 2018.^[2]

Overview

Active Ultimes

Past Ultimes

Future Ultimes

Route du Rhum

The class has been part of the Route du Rhum since 2010.

Transat Jacques Vabre

The class has been part of the Transat Jacques Vabre since 2015 (with the exception of 2019).

Rolex Fastnet Race

The class has been part of the Rolex Fastnet Race since 2019.

Arkéa Ultim Challenge - Brest

In January 2023, the start of the first solo tour of the Ultimes, the Arkéa Ultim Challenge - Brest, was announced for 7 January 2024, with six participants. The maxi-trimarans will perform the round the world from west to east by the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn), about a distance of 21,760 miles from Brest to Brest. The organization of this race was entrusted to OC Sport Pen Duick.^[7]

More information Skipper, Boat ...

Participants:^[8]

Skipper	Boat				Result		Ref.
	Name	Sail Nr.	Designer	Builder	Pos.	Time
Charles Caudrelier (FRA)	Maxi Edmond de Rothschild	FRA 17	Guillaume Verdier	Multiplast	1	50d 19h 7m 42s	[9]
Thomas Coville (FRA)	Sodebo Ultim 3	FRA 73	Sodebo Design	Multiplast	2	53d 1h 12m 40s	[10]
Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)	Maxi Banque Populaire XI	FRA 11	VPLP Design	CDK Technologies	3	56d 8h 1m 31s	[11]
Anthony Marchand (FRA)	Actual Ultim 3	FRA 53	VPLP Design	CDK Technologie-Multiplast	4	64d 1hr 38m 21s	[12]
Éric Péron (FRA)	Adagio	-	VPLP Design	Multiplast	5	66d 1h 14m 27s	[13]
Tom Laperche (FRA)	SVR Lazartigue	-	VPLP Design	Multiplast CDK Technologies	DNF		[14]

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