The Route du Rhum, a race that only takes place every four years, can be cruel for the skippers who have waited and prepared for a long time, because after all, it is a race that is played out in elimination. The 91 skippers who took part quickly realized this with the numerous setbacks and even retirements that happened to them and their teammates.
Difficult weather conditions
The sailing conditions encountered last night as the front passed through (30 knots on average, 45 knots in the strongest gusts and a sea that deepened as the fleet left the English Channel) caused damage in all classes. Nobody will forget the start of this 10 ème The sailors are suffering from the slingshot and are tired, hardly able to close their eyes at night. Unfortunately, they are not at the end of their pain with an active trailing regime which is staying behind the front and giving very irregular westerly winds with strong gusts under squalls. The seas are rough off the Bay of Biscay with four meter waves arriving in the front three quartersâ?¦ Finally, the weather is not the same for everyone as the Ultimates are already riding the wave 70 miles from Spain, while at the rear of the fleet they have not yet rounded the tip of Brittany. 250 miles separate the Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII of the last competitor in the Rhum class. On Tuesday evening, when the Ultimates will be in Madeira, the Imoca boats will be off the Portuguese coast and the Class 40s will be at Cape Finisterre.
Only 7 Ultimates left in the race
The seven Ultimates in the race will round Cape Finisterre at around 8pm this Monday. They are all sailing with the wind on the beam, at an uncomfortable and risky pace for multihulls. Soon, when they reach the Atlantic, the situation will calm down and they will just have to let themselves slide thanks to a strong north-westerly wind. The winning boat of the last Route du Rhum, led by Loïck Peyron, who has been able to manage his race and his trajectory intelligently, is leading the fleet with almost 40 miles ahead of his closest rivals. In an increasingly favorable wind, Spindrift 2 is in overdrive. At the 5:48 pm rankings, Yann Guichard was making over 35 knots.
5 serious incidents in the Multi50s and a duel at the top
The Multi50 fleet has suffered many setbacks. First of all Loïc Féquet and Master Jacques whose starboard float was dislocated. Gilles Buekenhout (Nootka for Emergency Architects), broken rudder; Hervé de Carlan (Delirium), deprived of one of his daggerboards; Erik Nigon (Vers un monde sans Sida), exploded mainsail and Alain Delhumeau (Royan) on dismasting There are only six of them left to continue their route to Pointe-à-Pitre and two skippers are fighting a battle without name to take the lead of the race, in their category. Yves Le Blévec (Actual) and Erwan Le Roux (FenêtréA cardinal) are about 100 meters apart.
One withdrawal, two incidents of damage and Macif leads the Imoca class
François Gabart is leading the race in the Imoca class and is ahead of his most serious competitor Vincent Riou, who has suffered damage. Initiatives Coeur had its port rudder damaged and Bertrand de Broc, skipper of Votre Nom Autour du Monde injured his elbow, leading to his retirement. The fleet is starting its descent towards the Bay of Biscay with a significant lateral gap (60 miles) between the trio Gabart/Guillemot/Beyou to the west and Burton/Di Benedetto to the east.
Class40 particularly affected
The Class40 skippers have been particularly affected, including one of the favorites in this 10 ème edition, Nicolas Troussel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne), was forced to abandon after suffering an ankle injury. Thierry Bouchard (Walfo.com), also injured his wrist and was forced to abandon. In this class, the most experienced skippers/boats are the ones who best pass this offshore event, like Sébastien Rogues (GDF Suez), Alex Pella (TALES 2 Santander 2014) and Kito de Pavant (Otio-Bastide-Medical). Half of the fleet is in the Bay of Biscay and the many solo sailors who have made a technical stopover are already getting back into the race.
The gaps are widening in the Rhum class
Most of the monohulls and small multihulls have had difficulties to pass Ushant so that only six solo sailors have entered the Atlantic this evening. The title holder, the Italian Andrea Mura (Vento di Sardegna) is still in the lead with a 40 mile gap to the trimaran of Anne Caseneuve (Aneo) further south. Charlie Capelle (Acapella), after a judicious stop last night in Saint Quay Portrieux, took to the sea again this Monday morning. At the stopover: Bob Escoffier (Groupe Guisnel), Nils Boyer (Let's Go) and Benjamin Hardouin (Krit'R V) decided to leave on Tuesday at 6:00 am, while Patrick Morvan (ORTIS) made a pit stop in Camaret (broken bowsprit).
List of 11 dropouts
- Thomas Coville (Ultime - Sodebo Ultim'): collision with a cargo ship
- Bertrand de Broc (IMOCA - Votre Nom autour du Monde): medical reasons and pilot problem
- Alain Delhumeau (Multi50 - Royan) : dismasting
- Loïc Fequet (Multi50 - Maître Jacques): float torn off
- Erik Nigon (Multi50 - Un monde sans sida) : torn mainsail
- Gilles Buekenhout (Multi50 - Nootka Emergency Architects) : broken rudder
- François Angoulvant (Class40 - Team Sabrosa SR 40MK2) : loss of keel
- Marc Lepesqueux (Class40 - Sensation Class40) : loss of keel
- Nicolas Troussel (Class40 - Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne): medical reasons
- Thierry Bouchard (Class40 - Wallfo.com) : medical reason
- Arnaud Boissières (Class40 âeuros Du Rhum au Globe): technical problems
