Lalou Roucayrol and Multi50 Arkema ready for departure of Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe

by Team Arkema 27 Oct 2018 22:40 PDT

Lalou Roucayrol on Arkema © Vincent Olivaud / Team Arkema Lalou Multi

Pressure is slowly mounting on the pontoons of Saint-Malo, one week from the start of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, a legendary solo transatlantic race.

After arriving in the buccaneering town halfway through the week, Lalou Roucayrol and the Multi50 Arkema are now getting into the swing of things. The ambience in the Route du Rhum Village is at full tilt, and the world of ocean racing has come together in Saint-Malo for this last week before the start.

A dream opportunity for Lalou Roucayrol and his team to present Arkema's know-how, by offering to many skippers the "Kit à Partir ", a repair kit developed through collaboration between the Arkema Group, its adhesives specialist subsidiary Bostik, and Team Lalou Multi.

On the starting-blocks

The Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe is the major event of the season for... 123 skippers! A record participation for the greatest solo transatlantic race! With this, his fourth participation in the race in the wake of three podium places, it is as an experienced skipper that Lalou Roucayrol has been able to anticipate the pace of the very last preparations. The days fly by at the speed of light, punctuated by requests from the race organizer and from the general public, last-minute preparations to the boat, and get-togethers with partners or with the media.

"We arrived in Saint-Malo on Wednesday evening" says Lalou. "We had a great ferry journey from Verdon-sur-Mer to Brittany, sailing at 25-30 knots under pilot... The boat was flying! We tested all the sails, and are very happy with the way our automatic pilot works. We are now in the swing of things, with various people approaching us to request information, which is to be expected and is part and parcel of the job! We managed to have two entirely free days last week, so I was able to keep away from the fuss and excitement in the harbor. I can also rely on my fabulous team who are taking care of the final preparations on the boat."

"Kit à partir": an emergency repair kit for sailboats

Making the most of the presence of the greatest professional skippers and their teams in Saint-Malo, Team Arkema - Lalou Multi has devised a kit especially for the skippers taking part in the race, to help them cope with any needs for bonding or repair that may arise at sea.

Lalou Roucayrol tells us about the idea behind the kit: "This 'Kit à partir' comprises adhesives and sealants, defined by the past experiences of Team Arkema - Lalou Multi members. These grab adhesives are suitable for countless repairs, both immersed and submerged. This is also an opportunity for us to present the Elium® resin in the form of a recyclable composite sheet, which will help skippers fill or plug a hole in the hull. We are very happy to be able to share these products with the other Route du Rhum skippers, and look forward to their feedback when we all get to Guadeloupe."

Daniel Lebouvier, Bostik Business Development Director, Structural Adhesives: "We are delighted to have put this kit together for the launch of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. These adhesives, tried and tested in real conditions, are easy to use and are suitable for many circumstances; this also enables us to showcase the quality of Bostik and Arkema products for sailing."

2018 results of the Multi50 Arkema: