The final battle for victory in the Imocas is underway at the 12th Route du Rhum. While Boris Herrmann remains in 24th place after his technical problem with the metal bolts on the top of his foil box became known, Thomas Ruyant on "LinkedOut" continues to lead the field of 34 remaining yachts. The Frenchman snatched the lead from the big favourite and compatriot Charlie Dalin on 18 November and is defending it fiercely. But on the night of 20 November, "Apivia" skipper Dalin was able to close in on his compatriot again. Only five nautical miles separated Ruyant and Dalin on Sunday morning.
The duel remains highly exciting. Especially in view of the classically complex final rounding of Guadeloupe on the way to the finish. Unsettled winds and doldrums have often caused a last-minute shake-up in the results table here. So can the 41-year-old Transat Jacques Vabre winner Ruyant from Dunkerque hold on to his lead to the finish? Or will Charlie Dalin catch up with him after all?
The trio of Imoca's best: Ruyant, Dalin, Beyou
Ruyant is accompanied by fond memories in the final sprint. The "LinkedOut" skipper, who tends to be quiet but is always determined and fierce, took part in the Route du Rhum once before this edition. Twelve years ago, Thomas Ruyant won the Route du Rhum at his first attempt - back then in Class 40. Ruyant says: "I've only taken part in the Route du Rhum once before and won. Of course, those are great memories. I'm thinking of the wonderful finale in the early morning with gusts of thunder. And there were rainbows everywhere."
However, Ruyant and Dalin are not fighting for victory on their own. Behind them, Jérémie Beyou has put the pedal to the metal on his aggressively constructed "Charal 2" over the past 24 hours. It almost looks as if Beyou has now found the right gears on his new Sam Manuard design. The "Charal 2", which was only completed in late summer, had already caught the eye when it was launched with its scow bow, very slim hull and X-shaped rudder configuration. "Typical Beyou" was the immediate and universal response to the futuristic-looking foiler.
Jérémie Beyou: "You have to step on the gas and believe in yourself"
The 46-year-old perennial favourite in the upper echelons of the Imoca class is currently showing that he is heading in the right direction. The brand new boat is performing like clockwork on its regatta debut in the Route du Rhum. However, the 40 nautical miles gap to Ruyant is a chunk that even Beyou's black and red racing machine will have a hard time eating up on the last remaining section of the course.
Jérémie Beyou referred on Saturday to the fickle winds with squalls and the chance of another advance when he said: "It can happen. And it can happen again. You have to step on the gas and believe in yourself." Beyou continued: "At the moment the wind is getting stronger. I'm paying a lot of attention to my boat, because it's important to finish this race. It's not bad to have come this far with the new boat. We shouldn't do anything stupid that could ruin it. So don't kick the boat too hard or adjust the mast badly. I've been sailing for a podium place since the start of the race. I would be very unhappy if that wasn't also the case at the end of the race."
"Jérémie doesn't know the word 'conservative'." Charal's Technical Director Pierre-François Dargnies
At the same time, everyone knows that Jérémie Beyou is not a reserved sailor. Charal's Technical Director Pierre-François Dargnies says: "Jérémie doesn't recognise the word 'conservative'. That is the reason why we have prepared a very strong boat for him. We know that he can't manage a boat conservatively. He always wants to win a race. Even when I say it's the first race, we have to finish it and we need the experience. Then he says 'Yes, but I want to step on the gas', because every race is important to him."
