Whether they are amateurs or professionals, the skippers of the Route du Rhum destination Guadeloupe are all in the same boat. Although their names appear on the list of registrants for the famous transatlantic however, they are not yet guaranteed to take the start. They must first complete a qualifying course on the boat with which they will take part in the race. Be careful, if the boat undergoes important modifications after this qualification course, the race direction can require the skipper to redo his course.
1,200 miles minimum
Each skipper must sail at least 1 200 miles on his boat, including 120 miles minimum upwind, in wind and sea conditions of force 5 on the Beaufort scale (wind from 17 to 21 knots) and in race configuration and single-handed. An exceptional dispensation from the race direction can authorize the embarkation of a mediaman.
This qualifying course must be communicated to the race direction beforehand and specify :
- Port of departure
- Port of arrival
- Possible intermediate waypoints
- Distance
- Planned departure date
The Race Direction must validate the course, in which case the skipper must equip his boat with a positioning beacon (transmitting every 15 minutes) to ensure the follow-up. The race direction must also have access to it.
After the course
following his qualification course, the skipper must send a summary of the navigation to the Race Direction:
- Date and time of departure and arrival,
- Actual route taken (including a copy of the track),
- Distance traveled,
- Problems encountered
This course will have to be validated by the race direction so that the skipper can take the start of the Route du Rhum 2022. This qualification can also be done during the race.
