What will the water off Saint-Malo look like on Sunday at 13:02?
The conditions on the day of the start will be rough, but fairly classic for a race start in early November. The various files confirm a Westerly SW'ly flow when the start will be launched in the early afternoon. The skippers will have between 15 and 20 knots established, with gusts close to the coast. They will be sailing upwind between the Pointe du Grouin and Cape Fréhel.
As long as the skippers stay in the Channel, the conditions will not be very complicated.
And then, bad weather is announced for the beginning of the week?
Yes, the first difficulties will arrive on Monday and some tactical choices will have to be made as soon as they leave the English Channel. The conditions are going to become a lot stronger, with a steady wind of between 35 and 40 knots. A large low-pressure system will be steering the skippers' route, accompanied by a 3 to 4 meter swell. It could be hard for some, especially for the slower classes.
What seems to be the best option at the exit of the Channel?
The skippers will have to find a way out, either by choosing to spare their horses by heading south or by crossing the front and facing the bad weather.
They will have to adjust their performance cursor in these seas that can break equipment. The most profitable trajectory will not be the one that will preserve the boats. This is often the game in the Route du Rhum. Once again, this weather is nothing exceptional. These are classic conditions in early November in the North Atlantic.
What can the skippers expect for the rest of the race?
There is a lot of "fuel" in the South Atlantic. Warm air masses are quite present and make forecasts difficult to anticipate. It is still a bit too early to have an optimal vision.
Can the previous record be broken in this 2022 edition?
In theory, no. The conditions are not optimal to beat the previous record. If we were to start a Jules Verne, the weather window does not allow us to set a time on the first part of the course.
You won the last Mini Transat 2020, as well as a majority of the other races of the Mini circuit. Will you be at the start of the next Route du Rhum in 2026?
I hope so! I am currently setting up a new project, and I am looking for partners in order to be at the start of the next edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2024, the Route du Rhum 2026, as well as the Vendée Globe 2028...
