The damage that has affected the Ultimates competing in the Route du Rhum has been too numerous and far too significant (Editor's note: the Maxi Banque Populaire IX was almost destroyed) to be maintained at the initial date of December 29, 2019 the departure of Brest Oceans.
"The decision was taken jointly with the Brest Ultim Sailing organization, of which I am the general manager, the Ultim' 32/23 Class, of which I am the general delegate, the skippers and shipowners, as well as the local authorities of Brest explains Emmanuel Bachellerie.
From the arrival of the first Ultimates in the Route du Rhum in Pointe-à-Pitre until this Monday, December 3 in Lorient, the various organizations have made a great assessment. "It is on the one hand wiser and on the other hand more reasonable in terms of reliability time to postpone the round the world trip, because as one would say, "this round the world trip is a crazy project carried by reasonable people. But it will go, that's for sure" says Emmanuel.
What about the next dates? The organization is already thinking about it as the general manager explains: "The variables are quite multiple for the next dates, but it can only be done in winter here, because it's the southern summer in the south and it's unthinkable to do the opposite. The windows for record departures, by the way, are November through February, because that's the most digestible weather period for the boats."
Except that "winter", in our country, every two years, two great sailing events take place, the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe, and that it is " unthinkable to compete with them, both for the organizers and for the general public" adds Emmanuel.
To find a new date, it will be necessary to take into account several criteria: " weather, schedule and our own contingencies to make the platforms reliable."
If we do a quick calculation, in 2018 the Route du Rhum took place and the next Vendée Globe will take place in 2020. so 2019 should have been the date of Brest Oceans. With this postponement, we enter a new cycle: a Route du Rhum in 2022 and a Vendée Globe in 2024. This leaves 2021 and 2023 to launch the solo round-the-world race for the Ultimates.
And in two years, will the entire fleet be handed over and rebuilt to take the start? Especially since, as Emmanuel Bachellerie explains, this round-the-world race concerns the entire fleet: " Events such as Brest Océans involve the entire fleet except for Francis Joyon, who has chosen other horizons. Let's remember that the Ultimes were designed with a single-handed round-the-world race as a priority. That was the initial objective. So we won't be sending out a limited number of boats if the others have to stay on land."
the decision should be made public in January, and they will have to build a new boat if they stay in the Ultimates class.
"The new date of Brest Océans will once again be decided in a collegial manner with the shipowners, the Ultime class, the skippers, the local authorities and the organization, in view of the backward planning of the constructions and the positions of each one" concludes the general delegate of the Classe Ultim' 32/23
