Route du Rhum: the race goes sugarcane green!
Yachtsmen and ocean racers have always expressed their concern for the environment. The organizers of the Route du Rhum have therefore taken the plunge and modified the rules for the 2022 edition at the last minute to integrate this concern while remaining faithful to the DNA of the race: the Rhum.
Sugar cane and lemon boats
For the construction of the boats, the use of biocomposites based on sugar cane fibers is imposed at 59% (like the Rhum de Marie-Galante). The heating of the ovens for the cooking of the composite parts will be made from the combustion of the bagasse, falls of the sugar canes resulting from the distilleries of the Guadeloupe archipelago.
Aware of the difficulties to fully apply the new rules by November 2022, the race management authorizes the skippers to use the "Mojito du Quartier Latin" clause and to integrate the cane fiber only in the fittings up to 5% during the summer construction.
On the side of the paints, the racers are invited to use thinners based on rum from Reunion. It seems that the West Indian producers do not consider that of their competitors in the Indian Ocean suitable for consumption and find a better market. For fluorescent underwater paints, mandatory to find sailors in case of capsizing, the pigment from lime peel is recommended. The deck anti-skid will be made from blond cane sugar instead of the usual sand and silica derivatives.
Sails of banana trees
To support the Guadeloupe banana industry, the master sailmakers will have to adapt. It is indeed required to use the weaving of banana leaves, with the possibility for the specialists of shaped sails to use the famous 3D Banana.
Sailing well, sailing full of rumors
Finally, the rules go beyond the simple restrictions related to construction. To be more virtuous, the skippers will have to make the return trip to Europe by their own means. They will be used to transport the precious West Indian serum. The sailboats with ballast will have to fill them with rum. Obviously, the old "vintage" sailboats will have to orient themselves on the Rhum Vieux. For the multihulls, the trampolines will easily serve as nets for the transport of limes towards Europe.
For a better sporting equity and to avoid having to appeal to the international authorities, a determined formula integrating the age of the captain, the degree of alcohol of the rum and the height of the winches compared to the deck will be used to determine the degree of evaporation related to the share of the angels during the transatlantic return. A strict control will be carried out by the gauges at the arrival, selected among the rare sailors totally abstract.
If in these conditions, the speed record on the Route du Rhum will certainly not be beaten, it is a safe bet that its alcoholic footprint will be inversely proportional to that on the environment!
