Route du Rhum 2022: The edition to beat all records!

The Route du Rhum Race, held every 4 years, has always been a major multihull highlight - see our inset tribute to Mike Birch. There are three multihull classes: the Ultims, the Ocean Fifty and the Rhum Multi, with three other classes dedicated to monohulls. As all the competitors cross the start line in Saint-Malo, France, at the same time, it is of course tempting to take the count as they cross the finish line off Pointe-à-Pitre, having gone around Guadeloupe by the north and west coasts.
Gitana 17 Maxi Edmond de Rothschild covered the great circle course at an average speed of 21.6 knots, but 26.9 knots over the ground… ©Gitana/Eloi Stichelbaut
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Emmanuel van Deth
Publié le 02/12/2022
Par Emmanuel van Deth
Numéro : 187
Parution : Jan. / Feb. 2023
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Multihulls World #187
The 3,542-mile solo race from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe - the finish port is Pointe-à-Pitre – has this time brought together some 138 skippers. This is the first record, in terms of participation, which has imposed a long waiting list. For this 2022 edition, the organizers were keen to organize both the atmosphere ashore and at sea, with new boat parades and passages through the lock at Saint Malo open to the public - and to jubilation! The magic of the Brittany port city was in full swing. The race village began in 2014 and was open for seven days. In 2018, it ran for 12 days, and this year (the 12th edition of the event) it got an extra day. The village saw great success, with 2 million visitors counted on the docks - compared to 1.3 in 2018. Online, success is also impressive: 500,000 users registered on Virtual Regatta - compared to 450,000 last time round, 4 years ago. In short, the land-based machine was well oiled... However, on the water, not everything went as planned, beginning with the start which was postponed by 3 days (the first time this has happened) because of the weather forecast, which would have given extremely difficult conditions as the boats closed the Western Approaches of the English Channel. As a result of this, later conditions were much more favorable to speed: Charles Caudrelier, at the helm of his Ultim Gitana 17 Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, reached Pointe-à-Pitre in 6 days, 19 hours 47 minutes and 25 seconds, breaking the previous record for the event set by Francis Joyon in 2018 of 7 days, 14 hours and 21 minutes. The Ultims’ podium was completed by François Gabart (SVR Lazartigue) and Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) - both of whom also beat the 2018 winning time.
The Ocean Fiftys once again demonstrated the interest in their class - both for its friendly atmosphere and its sporting side: Erwan Leroux, already winner of the Route du Rhum in 2014, managed on board his Koésio to beat Quentin Vlamynck (Arkema), who had led the race almost from start to finish after the capsizing of Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires en Peloton - ARSEP). Sébastien Rogues (Primonial) completed the podium. Erwan’s time - 10 days, 21 hours, 35 minutes and 52 seconds - was almost a day quicker than the best IMOCA monohull - Thomas Ruyant, on board his LinkedOut, reached Pointe-à-Pitre in 11 days, 17 hours, 26 minutes.
In the Rhum Multi class, Loïc Escoffier (Lodigroup) is taking first place on the podium, followed by Roland Jourdain (We Explore) and Marc Guillemot (Metarom-MG5).

Perils of the Sea A fund launched to save Brieuc Maisonneuve’s catamaran

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Our partner Brieuc Maisonneuve, aboard his CMA Ile de France - 60 000 Rebonds, became the victim of one of those perils of the sea on Sunday, November 13 at 8:00 am. At the time he had been leading the Rhum Multi category and had just resumed his route after stopping to provide assistance to Amélie Grassi, whose Class40 had dismasted. In challenging wind and sea conditions, a sudden autopilot failure appears to have led to the boat to bear away violently, followed by a capsize. The skipper suffered a few cuts and bruises but was quickly rescued by Jean-Pierre Dick, himself leader of the Rhum Mono class. Brieuc was dropped off in the Azores and has since returned to France. But, at the time we went to press, his catamaran is still at sea and upside down... For the captain, losing his craft is out of the question: a rescue/towing operation has therefore been launched! If you’d like to contribute, a
fundraiser has been set up:
gofund.me/ef12b3df

Obituary The Route du Rhum pays tribute to Mike Birch

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Mike Birch aboard his Dick Newick-designed trimaran in Saint-Malo, France, on November 4, 1978, the day before the start of the very first edition of the Route du Rhum. ©AFP / Jean-Pierre Prevel
The 90-year-old Canadian skipper passed away on October 26. His legacy will be forever engraved in the history of ocean racing and multihull racing in particular. Aboard his yellow, Dick Newick-designed Olympus Photo, Mike won the first Route du Rhum on a trimaran: this was 1978, and the then 47-year-old skipper managed to catch up with Michel Malinovski’s imposing Kriter V monohull and even overtake it almost within sight of the finish line. Just 98 seconds separated the two solo sailors. Dejected, Michel’s famous quote and title of his book said it all: “Only victory is pretty...” But that victory by a modest multihull heralded the beginning of the supremacy of two and three-hulled craft over monohulls and the creation of distinct classes. In Saint-Malo, the day after the opening of the Route du Rhum Village, the emotion of those who were close to Mike, a man as discreet as he was a master of self-deprecation, was palpable. Note that the skipper, after his exploits in the first race, took part in every edition until 2002! Multihulls World extends its deepest sympathy to his family. Bye bye, Mike...
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The trimaran Olympus Photo crossed the finish line ahead of a monohull twice the length. ©AFP
Tags : Offshore Racing , Route du Rhum

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