A "Francis Joyon" in Ocean Fifty
The finish offered in Ocean Fifty by Quentin Vlamynck on Arkema and Erwan Le Roux on Koesio was breathtaking. While the former led the fleet for most of the 3,500 miles of the course, the last 100 miles saw the situation reverse. On Sunday, November 20, 2022, at around 3:00 am, Erwan Le Roux took the lead of the fleet by clawing back some miles and catching up with the young skipper at the Tête à l'Anglais. His boat, very comfortable downwind and faster in a very irregular trade wind, allowed him to pass Arkema.
It is finally at 06h50 and 52 seconds local time, or 11h50 and 52 seconds Paris time that Erwan Le Roux crossed the finish line of the Route du Rhum destination Guadeloupe. His race time of 10 days, 21 hours, 35 minutes and 52 seconds also allows him to establish a new reference time. With a lead of only 18 minutes and 13 seconds over Quentin Vlamynck, he wins for the second time the Route du Rhum in Ocean Fifty, after a victory in 2014.
A hunter who dethrones the favorite
In the IMOCA class, Charlie Dalin on Apivia is quickly taking the lead of the fleet, but he is also bringing along a small group of close pursuers, including Thomas Ruyant on LinkedOut. The winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021, alongside Morgan Lagravière, is always, whatever the race, neck and neck with the class favorite. It is because he did not give up and did not sleep much that he managed to take the first place in the fleet on Friday 18th November in the morning.
It is therefore tired and emotional that the northerner crossed the finish line of the race on Monday, November 21 at 02:51:25 local time, or 07:51:25 Paris time. He will have taken 11 days, 17 hours, 36 minutes and 25 seconds and thus improves François Gabart's reference time in 2014 of 12 days 4h 38 minutes. This is Thomas' second victory in the Route du Rhum, after a victory in Class40 in 2010.
Charlie Dalin took second place on the podium, crossing the finish line 2 hours 1 minute 46 seconds later.
Both men were racing their last boat and will launch their new boat in early 2023. For the winner, it is a Koch-Finot Conq design, for Charlie Dalin, a second Verdier design. Let's hope that the two sailors continue to "pull each other's leg" on their new foilers.
