100 days to finalize its preparation
The Route du Rhum celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2018! And for this anniversary edition, many of them had registered! In some categories, it had even been necessary to open additional places... Since July 15, the registrations are definitive and they are 117 to have obtained the famous sesame... In exactly 100 days, they will be leaving Saint-Malo for the mythical transatlantic, but while waiting, for some, there is still work to be done...
If the"big" skippers are serene, for others, it is still time for qualifications and/or the latest partner searches. But in any case, they will of course be the starting line...
Others had to give up their dreams because they had not met all the conditions necessary for their departure before July 15th, as stipulated by the Race Direction. Health reasons, professional obligations or lack of the necessary budget have thus forced some sailors to throw in the towel. But with withdrawals and long waiting lists, the misfortune of some has made others happy...
Thus, the Norman sailor, Claire Pruvot enters the list of those registered in Class40 and brings to 6 the number of women in the race. Other changes to note, the arrival of Yannick Bestaven at the helm of an IMOCA, Antoine Carpentier, a much sought-after crew member, for a first major Class40 race, but also in this category of Florian Guegen, currently boss of the Bisquine"La Cancalaise", or François Corre in Rhum Multi, who takes the helm of Friends & Lovers, his uncle Jean-Paul Froc's famous little yellow trimaran.
Registrants
Ultimate: 6
IMOCA : 23
Multi 50 : 6
Class40 : 50
Rum Mono : 17
Multi Rum: 21
An organization to deploy
On the organizational side, we are also working hard to ensure that everything is ready on time. Starting with a village of 12 000 m2 installed on the quays of the corsair city which will extend from the quay Duguay-Trouin to the maritime station and will open its doors on 24 October to close them on the evening of 4 November. An informative, educational space, which will give pride of place to discovery and festivities, the programme of which will be unveiled next September. By 2014, the Route du Rhum village had welcomed nearly 2 million visitors
