Route du Rhum: 3 days to D-day!
by Multihulls World 2 Nov 2018 02:20 PDT
Maxi Edmond de Rothschild - Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe © Eloi Stichelbaut
After a little hesitation over the weather, which could have led to departure day being delayed or brought forward, it has now been confirmed that November 4th at 2pm will definitely see the start of the Route du Rhum from St Malo, destination Guadeloupe!
Though the conditions are looking good for Sunday, things could become a bit more sporty on Tuesday with strong winds forecast off the coast of Portugal. But where will the Ultims be by then?
Maybe already close to halfway there! These giant trimarans are quite simply impressive and we never tire of watching them fly!
Update from Alex Thomson Racing
Despite never competing in the Route du Rhum before, Thomson begins the race as one of the favourites within the IMOCA class. He will compete on-board 'HUGO BOSS', the famous black boat which the skipper sailed to a second place, record-breaking finish, in the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe.
Ahead of the race start today, Thomson said: "It's great to be here in Saint-Malo. This is one of my favourite French cities and I can't quite believe how many people have travelled here to see the boats depart. It's just incredible. For me, this race is a real opportunity to test myself and push the boat in order to deliver what we know she is capable of. We saw from the last Vendée Globe that 'HUGO BOSS' is one of, if not the, fastest IMOCA in the fleet so I'm excited to see what we can do in this race."
This will be the final race that Thomson will compete in on-board the current boat. In summer 2019, Alex Thomson Racing will launch a brand new IMOCA 60, which the skipper will race in the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe.