Please select your home edition
Edition
Excess Catamarans

Route du Rhum - The enduring magic

by Gaia Coretti on 30 Oct 2010
Ambiance, sur le village - La Route du Rhum 2010 AFP
For any first time anglophile visitor, landing in the heart of the ninth edition of the Route du Rhum La Banque might be overwhelming.

Even for the old stagers who are on their four yearly odyssey to the ramparts of Saint Malo, this year's edition is a truly intoxicating spectacle for its sheer scale, colour and level of activity.

To the outsider it might seem a curious contradiction that French ocean racing is so evidently in robust health. This edition has an all time record entry which of course includes the return of giant multihulls in the Ultime category, a flourishing IMOCA Open 60 fleet including three new French boats launched since April, and a 45 boat Class 40 fleet which has more or less doubled in size since their debut in 2006.

From the multi-million Euro programmes, for which this Route du Rhum- La Banque Postale is one of the cornerstone returns, to the small sponsorships in kind, more than 75% of the entries have some kind of sponsorship. Clearly the Route du Rhum- La Banque Postale has lost nothing of its huge appeal commercially, or to the public.

Two days before Sunday's start and the huge 7000 square metre main regatta village is rammed with visitors. Today, Friday, saw another new record with more than 1 million visitors having passed through the quayside arenas, virtually surpassing last year's total even in advance of the tens of thousands who will arrive for start day. There is scarcely a seat to be had in the huge media centre.

Sam Davies, the Brittany domiciled British skipper who is seeking support for her second Vendée Globe campaign and is here to support Oman Air's Sidney Gavignet sums up the magic and the appeal of the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale:
'In France this is such huge event. You have to remember that the race start is broadcast live on national TV for two and a half hours. It is Sunday, middle of the day, it is families who watch. This is quite a traditional country and everyone sits down to watch on a Sunday, they will have an early lunch and watch the race as it unfolds. If they do that, that creates a huge following all over France and they will follow the race until it finishes, especially because Gaudelouope is French. That sets them off. It creates such a buzz. And of course it is only once every four years, so everyone waits and talks about the race for months in advance.'

'It has gone on for so many years, there is so much history, names like Tabarly, Florence Arthuad. This is the only race that a woman has won overall, beating all the guys, and it was in a race which has such extreme conditions, that makes it a race which is always has a history and stays in people's minds. So many people still cherish that memory of a little girl crossing the finish line in her silver trimaran.'

A million visitors since Friday 22nd October, comments:
Nicolas Belloir, assistant mayor of Saint-Malo in charge of sports with responsibility for the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale:

'This is really satisfying for us. We have laid out clear measures which allow us to compute this data accurately. We have seen some great increases since 2006 and this is even in spite of what goes on with social unrest. We even saw Thursday peak with over 200,000 visitors, more than we had on Saturday in 2006.

For the town the implications are significant but the benefits are important. The hotels and camp sites are full. It is an extraordinary boost for the local economy.'

Jean-Yves Le Drian, President of the District council of Brittany:
'Even before start day for the 85 skippers., this is already as success for Brittany. A popular success as measured by the record crowds on the quays of Saint-Malo but also in the town itself.'

Pierre Bojic, Managing Director of Pen Duick:
'Our primary satisfaction is that the here the whole race attracts the wider public when it is not easy. It really underlines that the race is a popular, free access public event.'

http://www.routedurhum-labanquepostale.com/en/
B&G Zeus SR AUSJeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Selden 2020 - FOOTER

Related Articles

OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde day 3
Nick Craig fights back Canada's Ben Flower and Britain's Charlie Cumbley will go into Wednesday's final day at the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship in Warnemünde, Germany, on equal points with two more races to sail.
Posted on 8 Jul
British Classic Week Day 2
An early start for Classes 1-3 as they prepared to race around the Isle of Wight It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight.
Posted on 8 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 3
The leaderboard tightens at the halfway mark after today's racing in a building breeze After a frustrating day of waiting ashore on Monday, Day 3 brought back the action in Aarhus Bay with spectacular foiling conditions and a full day of intense racing.
Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone.
Posted on 8 Jul
Mediterranean Regatta season in full swing
A+T instruments seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for racing fleets As regatta season gathers speed, A+T instruments were seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for the racing fleets.
Posted on 8 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
Storm cells circling Lake Garda lead to atypical and tricky conditions The 137 sailors representing 25 nations faced the first day of racing in conditions that were anything but typical for Malcesine, with unstable weather creating a complex, yet exciting, opening.
Posted on 8 Jul
NYYC International Women's Championship update
Teammates and Competitors Join Forces The strength of bonds forged in competition is a common theme among the second group of skippers and teams invited to compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship.
Posted on 8 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board.
Posted on 8 Jul
Sailing's Glitterati prepare for the Admiral's Cup
The depth and quality of talent is truly breathtaking. The 2025 Admiral's Cup is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in the event's storied history, featuring a glittering constellation of the sport's elite.
Posted on 8 Jul
West System Six10 Epoxy cartridges are back!
Pre-thickened, gap filling epoxy back after a disruption to supply for an extended time ATL Composites is very happy to announce that WEST SYSTEM Six10 Epoxy Cartridge Packs are now available again to the Australian and Asian markets.
Posted on 8 Jul