115 solo sailors and just as many boats across six classes, plus the classic route from Saint-Malo to Point-à-Pitre covering 3,542 nautical miles: the 13th edition of the Route du Rhum sets sail in two weeks’ time on 1 November at 1.02 pm. The race record of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 minutes was set in 2022 by Charles Caudreliere aboard the Ultim “Maxi Edmond de Rothschild”.
But it’s not just the course record that’s being chased. It’s all about overall and category victories, podium places and the countless dreams that accompany and drive every competitor. France’s great autumn classic also brings the fans out in force. Around 1.5 million people made the pilgrimage to Saint-Malo for the last edition in 2022 to experience the build-up live. Around 1,000 journalists were accredited. Held every four years, much like the Olympic Games, the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe is a fascinating event. Click here for the official programme of events.
13th Route du Rhum: Challenges, obstacles, moments of triumph
The challengers face a highly demanding Transat course. It is not only peppered with classic navigational challenges, but also with obstacles and a number of potential hazards. It is essential to take whale protection zones (ZPC) and traffic separation zones (DST) into account when planning the route. The brown algae of the Sargasso Sea often cause problems for sailors on the Route du Rhum. The risk of collisions with flotsam is ever-present.
The race puts its challengers through their paces in every aspect of offshore racing. Consequently, the course of the race is eventful and varied. Here are six good reasons why it’s worth following the race again this November.
Reason 1: Boris Herrmann is performing his first solo on the new “Malizia 4”
German fans in particular, but also the offshore sailing community, are eagerly awaiting the answer: how will Boris Herrmann’s first solo race on the new “Malizia 4” go? In the Ocean Race Atlantic The new model has already shown off its speed potential, even though a collision and damage to the foil meant he could only manage fourth place, despite a furious final sprintn. That, during the recent strong-wind training session, A mainsail tear affected Team Malizia whilst preparing for the Route du Rhum, was another challenging development during the initial operation of the impressive new building.
Boris Herrmann’s new book: The Beauty is also a Beast
Boris Herrmann’s initial impressions of his new IMOCA could also be summed up as “Beauty and the Beast”. Speaking about “Malizia 4” this week, he said: “We’ve seen a lot already; we’ve sailed across the Atlantic twice. She’s a magnificent boat. I’m truly in love with her. Sometimes she gets the better of me, too. And she’s even made me cry once. But then, at other times, she’s fabulous again.”
In his first three-month review following the launch on 6 July, Boris Herrmann also compared the new “Malizia 4” with its predecessor, “Malizia 3”, this week, saying: “It really is different from ‘Malizia 3’. Whereas ‘Malizia 3’ had a good nature and was quite gentle, tolerant and easy-going, ‘Malizia 4’ is more capricious. I find the boat is quite a bit harder to sail.”
Reason 2: Stars and starlets of yesterday, today and tomorrow are taking part
Every four years, the French and international offshore sailing elite gather for the Route du Rhum. The list of winners speaks for itself: top sailors such as Florence Arthaud, Laurent Bourgnon, Franck Cammas, Loïck Peyron and, of course, Charles Caudrelier have all won the Transat. This year, too, the very best are taking to the seas. The Ultim class of giants is proof of this: Reigning champion and record holder Charles Caudrelier is set to make his eagerly awaited regatta debut in the ‘Queen of the Seas’ with the new ‘Gitana 18’.
"The Route du Rhum is my favourite race. It’s the race that sparked my passion for sailing." Charles Caudrelier
Thomas Coville, the current holder of the Jules Verne Trophy, is competing in “Sodebo”. They are joined by Transat Café L’Or winners Tom Laperche (“SVR – Lazartigue”) and Armel Le Cléac’h (“Maxi Banque Populaire XI”), as well as Anthony Marchand (“Actual Ultim 4”), Louis Burton (“Ultim Armand Thiery”), Guirec Soudée (“Liamm”) and Alexia Barrier (“Idec Sport – CIC”), who aims to become the first woman to complete the Route du Rhum on an Ultim. The star-studded starting line-ups continue in the other classes: Imoca, Ocean Fifty, Class40, Vintage Mono and Vintage Multi.
Reason 3: The Route du Rhum’s new-build showcase
The 13th edition of the Transat classic is attracting many newly built yachts to the starting line: first and foremost, Charles Caudrelier wants to test just how far he can push the new “Gitana 18”. The sailing world is dreaming of 1,000-nautical-mile days. New IMOCA builds such as Boris Herrmann’s “Malizia 4” and Sébastien Simon’s “Groupe Dubreuil – Air Caraïbes” (FRA 85) will also be competing in a regatta solo for the first time.
Reason 4: The legendary boats in the race
The new high-tech designs are set against the exciting backdrop of comebacks by legendary racers from the past – retro racers that have been upgraded. The ‘Vintage Mono’ and ‘Vintage Multi’ classes offer the chance to discover – or rediscover – boats from days gone by that have been thoroughly prepared for today’s challenges.
The Route du Rhum brings excitement to what is often a grey November
One example of this is the Orma fleet. These multihulls defined the golden age of ocean racing in the 1990s. Six of them will be competing in the Route du Rhum. And with them will be exceptional sailors such as 69-year-old Francis Joyon (“Pour les Océans”), winner of the “Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe” in 2018, and 47-year-old Paralympic champion and Vendée Globe finisher Damien Seguin on “Arkea – Handicap International”.
Reason 5: The historical benchmark for offshore quality
Since its inaugural edition in 1978, the Route du Rhum has reflected the developments in offshore sailing at the time. Many key figures, boats and events have gone down in the history books thanks to this transatlantic race. Take Mike Birch and Michel Malinovsky, for example, who were separated by just 98 seconds as the leading boats battled for victory in the finish of the inaugural race. Or Florence Arthaud, who in 1990 became the only woman to win the Route du Rhum, one of the most prestigious regattas in her sport.
And then there is Laurent Bourgnon, who is the only sailor to have won the race twice in a row in the multihull class, in 1994 and 1998. His son, Basile Bourgnon, could now continue his legacy. The ‘Edenred’ skipper is among the favourites in the highly competitive Ocean Race Fifty class.
Reason 6: Because the Route du Rhum is a huge celebration for the fans
The regatta village in Saint-Malo will open its doors next week on 20 October. Visitors will then have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of offshore sailing, marvelling at the 115 boats, meeting their skippers and experiencing the sense of anticipation that will build right up to the start on 1 November at 1.02 pm.
On the site, which covers around 70,000 square metres, an audience of millions is once again expected, with free admission. Four years ago in Guadeloupe, too, around 300,000 people celebrated the soloists, who can once again expect a rapturous welcome in the southern Caribbean.
The trailer for the Route du Rhum really makes you long for the sea:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter