The "Ultime" category was born at the 2010 Route du Rhum, when the race organiser grouped every multihull of 60 feet and over, with no upper limit, to succeed the 60-foot ORMA trimarans and welcome large boats such as Groupama 3, Sodebo Ultim' or Idec.
In June 2015 an Ultim Collective formed around the Banque Populaire, Macif and Sodebo teams set an overall length between 24 and 32 metres, excluding the MOD 70s and the much longer Spindrift 2. The Ultim 32/23 rule (maximum 32 m long, 23 m wide) was endorsed by the French sailing federation on 29 January 2018.
The class's six boats lined up at the 2018 Route du Rhum, marked by the capsize of Banque Populaire IX and several breakages; Francis Joyon won aboard Idec Sport ahead of François Gabart. In 2019 four Ultims took the first four places in real time in the Rolex Fastnet Race and broke its record, then raced the Brest Atlantiques in November, an event created for them, sailed two-handed around the Atlantic via Rio and Cape Town.
In 2021 the trimaran SVR-Lazartigue was challenged by the other class members because of its enclosed cockpit. Its owner went to court, obtained a temporary waiver in July 2022 to start the 2022 Route du Rhum, and an agreement on modifications (floors, rear bubbles, boom) led to the measurement certificate being issued in May 2023; the class's governance changed afterwards.
On 7 January 2024 the first solo round-the-world race for Ultims, the Arkéa Ultim Challenge, started from Brest with six boats via the three capes. The class then welcomed Gitana 18, launched in 2026, and round-the-world records keep falling, including Guirec Soudée's solo east-to-west record in 2026.
The Ultim 32/23 class is a restricted box rule, not a one-design: each team designs its own trimaran within maximum dimensions.
Fixed rules: overall length from 24 to 32 m, maximum beam of 23 m, ground clearance of at least 1.70 m for boats launched after 1 January 2015, and air draft capped at 120% of the boat's longest hull length.
Some rules can only change every four years (oversight committee, expert group, engine power, anchoring, adjustment of movable appendages, skipper qualification), while the rest can be revised yearly. A class measurer issues the measurement certificate.
Source: La jauge du Collectif Ultim (opens in a new tab) (Collectif Ultim)
4 sources · updated 2 Nov 2026
Correction
Source: Sillage, charte graphique : palette des classes (opens in a new tab)
Correction
External identifier
External identifier
Source: Ultim Boat (opens in a new tab)
External identifier
Source: Ultim Boat (opens in a new tab)
Descriptions merged