2022 Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe - Ocean Fifty: an added dimension

Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe © Alexis Courcoux

Always spectacular, always fast, always demanding, the Ocean Fifty are growing in competitiveness and reputation and are one of the most evenly matched divisions of the upcoming Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2022.

The eight skippers entered look set to have an engaging race across the Atlantic which could well see the final outcome decided on the last miles around Guadeloupe. They should take around ten days for the course from Saint Malo to Pointe-à- Pitre.

Aboard the Ocean Fifty, these 15.24m long and 15.24m wide multihulls, the sensations are heightened all the more when offshore. They are fast, fun and quite stressful, racing on the edge. Gilles Lamiré, one of the leading exponents in the class, observes, "These are very manageable, fast and well proportioned boats, relatively easy to sail, with well-made fittings. Downwind, under gennaker, it's fantastic. Our solo skippers are regularly exceeding 30 knots and often reach 40 knots."

Since the launch of the Pro Sailing Tour two years ago interest in the Ocean Fifty class has grown. The boats can be sailed fully crewed, double handed or solo, and of course the Route du Rhum is the pinnacle singlehanded event. High speeds are relatively easily achieved but the element of risk is always there and the skippers have to be extra vigilant all the time.

"We sail aboard boats where the level of danger is one of the highest," explains Briton Sam Goodchild. "And that helps to even out the fleet performance."

Eight entries, eight contenders!

Winning the class in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe will require a high level of skill and strategy, but doubtless it will also require an element of good luck. Getting off the start line in a fleet of 138 boats will need maximum observation and awareness of all other boats, then the passage across the Bay of Biscay can be brutal in early November and then the choice needs to be made to pass to the north of south of the Azores before hitting the trade winds for the relentless - hopefully - sprint to Guadeloupe.

Four years ago, the top three arrived with the space of one day: Armel Tripon (1st, currently skipper of Les P'tits Doudous), 2014 winner Erwan Le Roux (2nd, currently on Koesio) and Thibaut Vauchel -Camus (3rd, Solidaires en peloton - ARSEP). All the three skippers will on the starting line again and will do everything to repeat their podium successes. But competition looks fierce. The winner of the last Transat Jacques Vabre, Sébastien Rogue (Primonial) will also be racing across the Atlantic as will the two skippers who won the first two editions of the Pro Sailing Tour, Sam Goodchild (Leyton) and Quentin Vlamynck (Arkema).

Gilles Lamiré (Groupe GCA-1001 Sourires) already has four Route du Rhum races under his belt whilst Éric Péron (Komilfo) has been discovering the circuit this year. Both will be serious contenders, "The level is constantly increasing and it is particularly even and open", underlines Lamiré. "It is very difficult to say who will win. Favorites? Well in my book, all eight! And that adds a little more to the excitement."

Quotes

Sam Goodchild (Leyton): "Our preparation has gone very well but as usual like all the other sailors, we would always like to have more time. On the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, we want to win and the objective is to reach the other side by doing the best possible. We sail on boats where the danger is one of the highest in the fleet, where there are always a lot of things to look watch over and often fix. This all helps to smooth out everyone's performance and therefore makes the race so open We have had the chance to sail a lot throughout the year and that helps to strengthen the bonds, the camaraderie between all of us skippers."

Gilles Lamiré (Groupe GCA-1001 Sourires): "The Route du Rhum has been the rhythm of my life for years. This amazing career I have is in part due to this race. When you're finished all you can think about is coming back and doing it again! We are lucky to be part of a booming class with fast and modern boats, talented skippers and races full of suspense. By becoming more professional, the level has become very homogeneous. Everyone can win and it is particularly interesting. There are very close ties between all of us, even though we are competitors in the race. They are a class of enthusiasts with a deep respect for each other."

Discover the Ocean Fifty Class