Since last night, Storm Austen has battered the Breton coast and the port of Saint-Malo. Sustained winds of 50 knots and gusts exceeding 75 knots have been recorded. The proactive work of the organizer, the teams, and the city's technical services has allowed them to protect the boats and minimize damage to the Route du Rhum Village - Destination Guadeloupe. Everything is now being done to ensure the village reopens early Saturday afternoon. The main food outlets – Brasserie du Rhum and Pavillon des Îles de Guadeloupe – will open at noon.
KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
🍽️ 12:00 PM: Opening of the main dining areas, Brasserie du Rhum and Pavillon des Îles de Guadeloupe
🎪 2 PM: Opening of the entire village
SITUATION UPDATE
"The worst of the storm is behind us."
In the mid-afternoon, Julie Coutts, Managing Director of OC Sport Pen Duick , provided an update on the situation. She confirmed that " the worst of the storm is behind us ," but noted that " residual winds are still very strong ." While it is still too early for a full assessment, the technical teams have begun inspecting the structures. However, no major damage has been reported on the 115 boats in the fleet. " The protective measures implemented in the last 24 hours have allowed us to protect them ," Julie assured. "But the wind will continue to be with us throughout the weekend, and we must remain vigilant. "
A structural inspection is required to prepare for the public's return. This necessary preliminary step allows the village to reopen this Saturday. The main dining areas – Brasserie du Rhum and Pavillon des Îles de Guadeloupe – will be open to visitors from noon. The village's 70,000 square meters will open at 2 p.m., allowing as many people as possible to admire the boats and participate in this grand celebration of offshore racing.
WORDS FROM SKIPPERS. In the heart of the storm
From last night until mid-afternoon, all the teams were mobilized to protect the boats. "It's as rough as a TGV," explains Clément Surtel, technical director of IDEC Sport – CIC (ULTIM), Alexia Barrier's boat. "We started our watches with the team at 4:00 AM." Like the other ULTIM teams, they had ballasted the boats. What everyone feared most were debris blown in by the wind. The roof of a stand, in particular, fell on Erwan Le Draoulec's multihull (Lazare X Hellio, Ocean Fifty), fortunately without causing any damage. "We had a steady 50-knot wind and gusts up to 75 knots," Erwan points out. "These are conditions we almost never encounter; it's dangerous for the boats but also for the sailors . "
Everyone praised the prior work carried out by the organization.
“Hats off to the organizers for the trucks (which were mobilized to protect the stands),” said Bastian Ogier, boat captain of Allagrande Mapei. “That protective wall protected us well.”
At the end of the day, and after the strongest gusts had passed, no major damage was reported to the 115 boats in the fleet. Relief was the prevailing sentiment, and everyone was glad not to have had to face such conditions at sea. Erwan Le Draoulec confirmed this: " Even though it's very impressive, we'd rather experience this here than in the middle of the Bay of Biscay."