In 2018, 53 Class40s took part in the Route du Rhum, while there were 57 pre-registrants. A participation made possible with the opening of additional places for 40-foot monohulls. If the notice of race limited the number of participants to 40, in the face of massive registrations, it had then increased the number of boats to 50, before accepting 3 more a few weeks before the start.
The waiting list revealed early on had discouraged some skippers from setting up projects. The class therefore decided to propose a "more relevant system than first paid, first served" to manage registrations and the waiting list. All the more so as the Route du Rhum organisation has kept the quota for 2022.
The purpose of these new rules is to manage priorities in the event of quota overruns.
Favouring runners
In order to give preference to regular Class40 runners, the office has introduced a system of miles covered in the race. She believes that by participating regularly in the class races, the skippers will be more comfortable with the support, especially in terms of safety and performance.
Encouraging construction
In order to encourage the development of the class - despite these racing restrictions - Class40s built from mid-2021 will have a place without mileage criteria, so as not to hinder the construction of boats.
Favouring foreigners
Many foreign skippers are in Class40, a source of pride for the Class40. Thus, they will not have any miles to cover, but will have to take part in a minimum number of races.
