THE SINGLE-HANDED ROUTE DU RHUM IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BUT MOST ADORED OFFSHORE RACES IN THE WORLD. THIS YEAR WAS A RECORD-BREAKER IN EVERY SENSE, AS HELEN FRETTER REPORTS
A butterfly-shaped pocket of paradise nestled in the Caribbean Sea, Guadeloupe is a land of tropical forests punctuated by waterfalls. It’s a stark contrast to the brittle sunshine of northern France in November, where the Route du Rhum fleet tuck themselves under St Malo’s ancient ramparts before the start, hiding from the Atlantic gales.
Arriving in Guadeloupe is the reward for negotiating one of the trickiest of transatlantic crossings. But while it is seductive, this island paradise is also deceptive. After flying in on the north-easterly tradewinds, the skippers must hook around Guadaloupe’s western butterfly wing, looping the island of Basse Terre where its thickly forested cliffs cast a windshadow over the deciding miles of the 3,500-mile race.
Ever since Mike Birch and his nimble 39ft trimaran Olympus Photo overhauled the 69ft monohull Kriter in the dying seconds of the first Route du Rhum in 1978, the four-yearly transatlantic has seen fortunes falter over these final few miles. Every skipper approaching this year’s finish did so looking over their shoulder, knowing that even a seemingly secure advantage could melt away in the sticky heat of a windless calm.
This time, it was Pip Hare who was ensnared. Coming into Guadeloupe in 10th she put in some final gybes to put Medallia into a controlling position, only to park up under the cliffs, drifting at 2 knots while Romain Attanasio and Sébastien Marsset sailed past.
LEGENDARY CHALLENGE
But first, you have to get to Guadaloupe. Besides its finish, the Route du Rhum’s legend is based on two other factors. First is the unique strength, depth, and variety in the fleet. This year’s record entry of 138 boats represented an incredible showcase of offshore sailing. No fewer than 38 IMOCA 60s – by our calculations, the largest ever gathering in the class’s history.
The Ultime fleet included eight leviathan-scale trimarans, there were 55 Class 40s and eight Ocean 50s, while the ‘Rhum’ classes featured some of the most storied boats and skippers in sailing.
The second factor is the race’s reputation as a demolition derby. After leaving the protection of St Malo’s deceptively protected harbours, the skippers are immediately faced with the Bay of Biscay at its November worst – rolling depressions, vicious sea states and strong headwinds. Entire fleets have been decimated in the early days of this transatlantic classic.
Early indications were that this year’s race would bring similar, with a fearsome forecast
