Hats and thick socks were out from 5 a.m. this morning to accompany the departure of the last boats. After the Ultim trimarans on Friday, and the IMOCA and Ocean Fifty trimarans yesterday, the festivities were far from over, as 70 boats were still waiting for their chance to set sail. The process was carried out smoothly in four well-orchestrated phases to release the Class40, Vintage Mono, and Multi trimarans. After the private farewells at the dock, each boat was greeted by the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd, who had come as if for the after-party of a two-week celebration. After the emotional farewell, it's time for the competition: 115 skippers are meeting in Pointe-Pitre.
Few, like Corentin Douguet (SNSM, donate!), could say they " really enjoyed seven hours of uninterrupted sleep in a good bed ." On the docks, rookies and seasoned offshore racers alike admitted to waking up before the bell. " A matter of stress ," said Sasha Lanièce (Alderan), "a matter of noise on the wake, " said David Sineau (Ekinox Réthorès), and Fabien Delahaye (Legallais) added, " It's the end of a four-year cycle with the Route du Rhum as our goal. We put pressure on ourselves because we don't want to miss out; it's THE big race, and it's every sailor's dream ."
They are all aware of how lucky they are to be setting off in such unexpected conditions, like Loïc Féquet (Funae), who has already participated in the Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe in an Ocean Fifty and is returning this year at the helm of an older generation Class40, a "pointu" (a traditional dinghy): " When I had to deal with three consecutive depressions in 2018, it was much harder than starting in these beautiful conditions. We should reach the Azores fairly quickly, and even if we encounter wind there, it will be in milder temperatures; it's really nice to be looking ahead to this scenario, " said the sailor from Saint-Malo as he put on his oilskin overalls. " It's a rather unique Route du Rhum where we sail downwind at the beginning and upwind at the end ," confirms Corentin Douguet. "It's the concept of a race with a fixed start date. It's not about breaking any records! "
To project oneself into the unknown
Unlike the larger multihulls and even the IMOCAs, the unique aspect of a Class40 transatlantic race is the inability to plan the entire race, which could last between 12 and 14 days. " I'm not thinking about the finish, but about doing things well every day with as few mistakes as possible," says Pep Costa (VSF Sports). "Then, routes will open up, you have to be opportunistic, but I'm not looking too far ahead. " Is the highly uncertain scenario of the second week after the Azores more uncomfortable for the favorites who have the most to lose? " The difficulty is being among the first to lead the way and falling into the traps. But I still prefer to be in this situation than the opposite, " replies Guillaume Pirouelle on Sogestran SeaFrigo, winner of the Transat Café l'Or and the man to beat in 2026, with a wink.
The first lock just closed at 6:30 a.m., and the sun is rising over Saint-Malo. In the Dugay Trouin basin, the Vintage Mono boats are also having their pre-departure interviews. There's quite a crowd around Tanguy Caradec (Eurvad), who has placed this Route du Rhum under the sign of family ties and is hugging his daughters. "I 'm calm with this weather but anxious about this bottleneck at Fréhel. The watchword is not to break anything. I want my daughters to share my race and be proud of their dad before we meet up on the beach in the Caribbean ." Meanwhile, Jean Le Cam, the "King," is receiving guests on the still-damp teak deck of Alegria and is setting off as if for the first time. " I've taken three weeks' worth of food. I'm setting off on an adventure. My boat is one of the slowest in the fleet, I'm under zero pressure ." Caution is also the order of the day for the small wooden trimarans of the Vintage Multi class, which are bringing up the rear around eight o'clock. While the downwind start suits them perfectly, the prospect of a significant low-pressure system in the Azores doesn't sit well at all with veteran Charlie Capelle (ACapella-Proludic-La chaîne de l'espoir): " Christian (Dumard) is charting my course; he's very cautious, he knows my boat, the polar diagrams. I'm the smallest in the fleet, I'm not going there to race. This is my seventh time, I have to make it to the other side. I'm aiming for the trade winds, and so what if it takes longer to get there via the south! "