In 44 years of history, never have there been so many skippers setting out on La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. For the 12th chapter of the most legendary of transatlantic races, there will be 138 solo sailors departing from Saint-Malo and bound for Guadeloupe. This Wednesday, on the stage of the Mogador theater in Paris, they were present for the official press conference alongside the Télégramme group - owner of the event - the Guadeloupe Region - Exclusive Major Partner - the main partners - the City of Saint-Malo, the Brittany Region and the CIC, official partners, organizers and the media. Enough to start the countdown before this long-awaited new edition, which will kick off on November 6 in Saint-Malo, at 1:02 p.m.
It's a time for smiles, reunions and head-full dreams. This Wednesday, in Paris, the Mogador theater brought together all the skippers who will participate in La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, from the most successful to the most intrepid, from the most experienced to the most adventurous. Through their presence, their motivation and their enthusiasm, they demonstrate more than ever the attractiveness and vitality of this legendary offshore race and for good reason: there will be 138 of them on the starting line, a record number of participations in 44 years of existence. . This September 21, the sailors from the six classes gathered for the traditional photo, which marks the start of the festivities, 46 days before the big departure.
A concentrate of emotions
This 12th edition, which will start on November 6 with the opening of the line in front of Saint-Malo in the heart of the Brittany region, promises a concentration of emotions for the general public and enthusiasts. It brings together the most efficient skippers and the most prestigious teams who, for four years, have been working to optimize their boats in all aspects to improve their performance. The strength of this transatlantic is also to bring together a multitude of sailor profiles. Alongside the most renowned, many amateurs set out for the dream of a lifetime. They did not count their hours to reconcile daily life with the preparation of their boats, a constant time trial to insure themselves to the hazards of the open sea.
An increasingly international platform
On the starting line, there will be 8 entries in the Ultims and the same number in the Ocean Fifty. 37 IMOCAs will be there, 55 Class40s as well as 16 in the Multi Rum category and 14 in Mono Rum. Among the competitors, 5% are women (7 entered), present in IMOCA, Class40 and Rhum Mono. The plateau is also an illustration of the internationalization of ocean racing. Indeed, 14 nationalities will be represented, including a Japanese skipper and a Chinese skipper. In total, 20% of participants are foreigners. Furthermore, half of the French skippers are residents or originally from Brittany where the start will therefore be given. There are also 6% Guadeloupeans among the competitors.
New features to experience the departure even more intensely in Saint-Malo from October 25
Like every four years, Saint-Malo prepares to live to the rhythm of this great event during the 13 days in the village which precede the departure. Everything comes together to make the experience the most unforgettable for the hundreds of thousands of spectators expected. Thus, in a general public village free and open to all, one day longer (13 instead of 12) with an area of 70,000m2 (i.e. 15% more area compared to the last edition), with the fleet gathered along the emblematic quays of the race, at the foot of Intra-Muros and the Palais du Grand Large.
For the first time, the Ultims will be moored alongside the other participants in the heart of the city in the Vauban and Duguay-Trouin basins. Visitors will be able to admire them from the quays or from the top of the Big Wheel CIC - Le Télégramme installed for the occasion at the entrance to the village.
Among this year's innovations, the competitors will parade near the Falkland coast and in the locks when entering the basins in order to show off their boats to enthusiasts and the curious. They will be able to admire the Ultims and the Ocean Fifty on Tuesday October 25, the IMOCAs on Wednesday 26, the Class40s on Friday 28 and the Rhum Multi and Mono on Saturday 29. Upon arrival in Guadeloupe also, the festivities promise to be grandiose around the ACTe Memorial village, a place of culture and memory, where sailors, media and the general public will come together from November 11 to December 4. But also in the villages of the Marina du Bas-du-Fort from November 11 to 27 and in Basse-Terre from November 10 to 13. Finally, the competitors will parade, after their arrival, in the heavenly waters of the islands of Guadeloupe.
Major partners fully mobilized
If the 138 sailors involved in this 12th Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe will constitute an exceptional roster, they can count on the unfailing mobilization of partners to give substance to their dreams and their transatlantic ambitions. The Guadeloupe Region, Exclusive Major Partner, will be present in Saint-Malo, inviting visitors to travel, and will offer competitors the sublime setting of its islands for arrival. The City of Saint-Malo and its teams will welcome the skippers, their teams, the media and the general public for 13 days of celebration and communion around this magic of Rum. Owner of the port of departure, the Brittany Region and the Bretons will be the most fervent supporters of this record and historic fleet of women and men who will set sail, driven by the dynamism of an entire territory. Finally, for its first “participation” in La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, the CIC, a bank of territories serving the local economy, will join in this formidable oceanic challenge on the basis of a base of strong common values. made of entrepreneurial spirit, self-improvement and societal commitment.
More than ever, La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe promises to be the unmissable event of the year, a series that sailors are more than ever eager to begin.
Appointment is made from October 25 in Saint-Malo and from November 11 in Guadeloupe.
They said :
Francis Joyon (IDEC), winner of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2018 in Ultim, puts his title back on the line
“It’s an incredible memory!” Not because I won, but above all because of the mano a mano fight with François Gabart. We are leaving at the beginning of November, the weather is unknown. It’s a race that is very strong at that level. It's still 15 tonnes of boat that rises above the water and despite the state of the sea, that makes things fascinating! »
Paul Meilhat (Biotherm), winner of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2018 in Imoca, puts his title back on the line
“4 years ago, when I won La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, there was a lot of joy and happiness. These are 4 years of memories that come back: family, friends, loved ones... These are extraordinary moments.
The intensity is very high, it's a sprint that lasts 10 days. Those who start badly don't have the chance to come back. You have to find the little cursor, not break at the start and maintain a very high pace. Since the last Vendée Globe, the Imoca fleet has been exceptional and the best sailors in the world will compete! »
Armel Tripon (Les P'tits Doudous), winner of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2018 in Ocean Fifty, puts his title back on the line
“Rum is a bit of a drug, it’s a race that galvanizes me: a victory is a kind of consecration. It is inscribed in the imagination of all browsers. This race is of rare intensity. This year, the level is rising, there are more and more competitors, very motivated, relentless sailors... The field is beautiful! »
Yoann Richomme (Paprec – Arkea), winner of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe 2018 in Class40, puts his title back on the line
“I won the 2018 edition and it’s one of the big stones that built my career. The Route du Rhum was a dream, the race you followed when you were a kid. There’s a crazy history! It’s the commitment at the beginning that is super strong, super intense. You really have to give your all the first 5, 6 days. The Class40 is the biggest of the categories, almost half of the fleet with some pretty sensational boats. This promises us a great match! »
Philippe Poupon (Flo), Winner of La Route du Rhum 1986, entered in Rhum Multi
“It’s obvious that when you win La Route du Rhum it’s a big deal! It's a race that takes place every 4 years so you have to succeed in putting your name on the list of winners. It is not easy ! A man or woman who goes alone on a boat is moving, it makes you dream. We know that it is a tough race, which can be very tough. We are alone on incredible machines, it's impressive. The race has become a legend, the first in 1978, a small trimaran which overtakes a large monohull, by a few seconds, it's magical. »
Willy Bissainte (Tradysion Gwadloup), Guadeloupean skipper, registered in Rhum Mono
“La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe arrives at my home in Guadeloupe. For me, it's the most beautiful thing. It's something magical. This race is adventure! We're going to spend almost three weeks at sea.
The Rhum Mono are the class of old boats, the class of amateurs, the class accessible to people like me who are not professionals and who do not have big budgets. This is the origin of the Route du Rhum! »
Edouard Coudurier, Chairman and CEO of the Télégramme Group
“The challenge of the Télégramme Group is to ensure the success of La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, a major event of OC Sport Pen Duick, as best as possible, while respecting the spirit and the magic, while making it evolve qualitatively, in association with public and private partners, runners, shipowners, media, who all contribute to the success of the race. It is also an important responsibility, on the water and on land, both in terms of safety and respect for the environment. Because La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is an event that brings together 2 million people on site and many more through the media.
Le Télégramme is a player in Brittany: as such, organizing the most important event in Brittany, showcasing its talents and its companies gathered in Saint-Malo is a pride and a responsibility. We are also the media of the sea, which is present every day in its columns (not to say in its veins). On the occasion of La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, Le Télégramme provides complete coverage of the race on its various media, from the historical aspect to the sporting aspect, with numerous videos. He also produces the official program, in association with Le Point, broadcast throughout France. All our teams, media and organization, are on deck to ensure the success of this 2022 edition! »
Joseph Bizard, General Director of OC Sport Pen Duick
“It is a great pride for us at OC Sport Pen Duick to see the lineup of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe gathered here in Mogador, even though in a few weeks, the sailors will enter the ocean stage to offer us a show unforgettable, sensational. With 138 sailors at the start, this new edition already holds many promises and will once again establish itself as the most beautiful single-handed transatlantic event. A historic race that has become a major event, it also constitutes a formidable collective adventure driven by the commitment and support of all of our partners. To the Guadeloupe Region - Exclusive Major Partner, to its main partners - Saint Malo, the Brittany Region and the CIC, to the historic partners and the newcomers, we extend our sincere thanks and we look forward to writing this twelfth chapter with them. For the general public, we will meet on October 25 for the opening of the village of Saint-Malo to taste the magic of Rum, follow the big departure on November 6 at 1:02 p.m. and naturally in Guadeloupe for the celebration of the arrivals of the sailors . »
Ary Chalus, President of the Guadeloupe Region
“The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is a formidable sporting and human epic which for 44 years now has sealed a common legend between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe. It seems obvious for us to mobilize with great enthusiasm for this 12th edition. An edition that we approach as a real catalyst for continuing the development of our blue economy.
But La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is also a story of men and women who, during a transatlantic race, share a common horizon.
It is with immense pleasure that we participate in this new highlight, which is the presentation of the 138 skippers. Seeing them all gathered together today illustrates a symbol of unity and solidarity, but it is also an expression of great pride for everyone. In a few weeks, these women and men will face themselves and they will challenge the big blue sea. Let them know that when they arrive in Guadeloupe we will be there to welcome them and that each of them will be celebrated. »
Gilles Lurton, Mayor of Saint-Malo and President of Saint-Malo Agglomération
“138 boats in the basins of the port of Saint-Malo. 13 days of festivities. 70,000 m2 of village. 20 Saint-Malo skippers. This 12th edition of La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is one of all records. For several months, Saint-Malo and its conurbation have been preparing for it... All the services of the City and the territory, volunteers, hoteliers, traders, Falkland Islanders and Falkland Islanders are mobilized around this legendary race. In Saint-Malo, we are enthusiastic and proud to participate in this great adventure. Less than a month before the opening of the village, Saint-Malo is ready! »
Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany Region
“One month before the opening of the race village in Saint-Malo, I admit I am impatient! Impatient to be there, as the Main Partner of the event, also impatient to vibrate, once again and in unison, to the rhythm of La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. It is a great honor and an immense responsibility for the Brittany Region to host this legendary race in its port of Saint-Malo. The entry attempts of just one of the Ultims into the basins of the Corsair City have already made our hearts beat, so imagine how everyone will beat on November 6!
I am proud today to see so many Breton skippers taking the start of this event! Also proud to highlight, through them, the exceptional vitality of the Breton nautical industry. These sailors are at the helm of boats which result from a sum of technological prowess developed mainly in Brittany; You must be aware !
The image that will remain with me from September 21 is that of the 138 skippers competing. It looks like Brittany which will soon welcome them. These are all men and women who have a taste for effort, adventure and excellence, commitment, daring and solidarity. So many values that Brittany shares with these high-level sportswomen and men. »
Daniel Baal, Director General of the CIC
“The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe sets a record, bringing together so many skippers and therefore so many boats, teams, and partners. 138 skippers are therefore gathered, all great talents, ready to do battle but at the same time, lucky to take part collectively in writing a new chapter in the legend of this ocean race. All the CIC teams are looking forward to seeing the arrival of the first boats in Saint-Malo, the official opening of the village and the final discussions with the skippers and all the teams. Experiencing this rise in power when you are the main partner of an event is a unique opportunity. That of feeling part of and committed to building something strong with the world of sailing and all the partners of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe… but fortunately without the pressure that the competitors must feel.
From Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe, expectations are numerous and enthusiasts are excited to witness the departure of this magnificent fleet. We are all looking forward to it. »