Sailing: route to Guadeloupe, the charge of the 138 of the Rhum Route

Parties! Eventually the 12th was three days behind scheduleRoute du Rhum started from Saint Malo for Guadeloupe. A departure that is already in history since it was from 1978, the year of the first edition, that the start was not postponed. This time, however, the weather conditions that the 138 navigators (a historic number not only for this regatta, but for all the transoceanics) would have to face were really too dangerous and so, on Saturday the organizers decided to postpone. And they did well because at 14.15 when the starting signal was given in front of Saint Malo from the French Navy ship the conditions were perfect. Wind from South-West at 10-12 knots with gusts around 20 knots, maximum wave of one and a half meters. In short, the glances of the sun between a cloud and the other that make the colors and charm of Brittany. Even the spectators were not lacking despite the weekday already at dawn to follow the release of the Class 40. Alberto Bona with his IBSA passed the lock this morning around half past eight in the first group of 20 boats, then after about an hour, the second group with Andrea Fornaro with Influence and Ambrogio Beccaria with Alla Grande Pirelli. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, the Imoca and Giancarlo Pedote (there are 4 in total the Italians racing, Pedote in the Imoca and the other 3 in the Class 40) with Prysmian Group.

Release in installments

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The whole fleet went to the starting field which added another record to that of the number of participants. The length of the line: 3.5 miles, or 6.4 km. A mega-line that the organizers deemed necessary to safely host the entire fleet of the six classes with the three monohulls on the ground and the three of the multihulls further out. And then with the mayor of Saint Malo to give the Stop, the go-ahead in a glance of sunshine with the whole fleet on port tack for the first edge. Many Class 40s (someone has reduced the sail) at risk of early departure which costs 4 hours of penalty. Italians in the group. Better start in Imoca for Linkedout (built by Persico Marine) with Thomas Ruyant while in the Ultimo immediately fight between Banque Populaire IX with Armel Le Cléac’h and Lazartique by François Gabart. And the last ones are expected for the absolute victory with concrete chances of beating the record set in 2018 by Francis Joyon with 7 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes and 47 seconds aboard his Idec Sport which at 66 years old once again brings 3542 miles to Guadeloupe.

Want to record

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One chance is to beat the absolute record that is given very likely. With the postponement of the start and the improved weather conditions, but above all with the trade winds that the models say are very active and “high”, the other classes could also aim to improve their respective records. That of the Imoca of 12 days, 4 hours and 38 minutes and that of the Class 40 of 16 days, 3 hours and 22 minutes. Goals that are not topical at the moment. Competitors must now round the Cap Fréhel buoy which will also be the last chance for the public to see the fleet. And then, but it will be in the night for the fastest ones, tomorrow for the slowest ones it will be necessary to decide whether to leave the no-navigation area on the right or left, which is located off the coast of Ouessant, the island in front of the western tip of France that marks the exit from the Channel. From there it’s all the Atlantic and Guadeloupe is only 3,300 miles away. Good wind Giancarlo, Andrea, Alberto and Ambrogio.