The Route du Rhum is a sailor's dream! After an absence of four years, the legendary transatlantic race returns on 5th November 2018 for an anniversary edition: 40 years of existence! And with 9 months to go before the start, the race is already being emulated. With two months to go before the closing date for entries (31st March), some categories are already full and the waiting lists are getting longer.
This problem does not arise in Ultimate, Imoca, Multi50 or Mono Rum, but in Class40 and Multi Rum, demand far exceeds supply.
The organiser of the event - OC Sport Pen Duick -, the race management, but also the teams from Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe have therefore decided to increase the number of places in these two categories. This decision was taken after studying the logistical capacity to accommodate additional boats at the start and finish, and the guarantee of being able to keep track of a larger fleet.
" We are choosing to open the quotas for two very demanding categories. The Class40s will thus represent a third of the fleet for the 40th anniversary of the race. These are boats on which the sporting level is starting to be very high and it would have been a shame to deprive ourselves of a number of these very keen competitors. We have also decided to welcome more Rhum Multi's, which are an important part of the history of the race. For both groups, these decisions were of course taken in consultation with Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe and with a view to logistics and safety. This is good news which once again proves the sporting and human enthusiasm for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe" says Jacques Caraës, Race Director of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2018.
The Class40 and the Rhum Multi are winning 10 places each, and thus move up to 50 and 20 competitors respectively.
"We, as organisers, were very annoyed to deprive a number of sailors of the opportunity to take part in this must-attend event. We therefore decided to open the line to 120 competitors by welcoming 10 Class40s and 10 more Rhum Multis. When we announced a year ago that we wanted to limit entry to 100 boats, people were dubious. Today, we can easily say that the 40th anniversary edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe is a victim of its success. It is shaping up to be a very strong moment that will bring together everything that makes the legend of the Rum, both in terms of sport and human relations" explains Mathieu Sarrot, OC Sport Pen Duick Events Director.
