Last November 2nd, 90 navigators set sail on one of the most prestigious regattas in the world
 |
Boats racing on La Route du Rhum
|
It’s not surprising that more than 60,000 people watched the departure of the race at Cap Fréhel near Saint Malo in western France. La Route du Rhum is one of the four greatest regattas, and the only multihull long-distance race in the world!
The race has taken place every four years since 1978. It starts in north Brittany and finishes on the French island of Guadeloupe. The contenders travel at least 3500 nautical miles (5700 km), and sometimes up 4500 miles depending on wind and sea conditions. Competitors are divided into 5 categories depending on their boat’s size and type.
 |
La Route du Rhum’s paths participants choose
|
Boats used in the race are studied by groups of researchers and engineers for months preceding the event. Even if the budget is a hundred times bigger for the best-funded competitors, every boat is carefully examined. The shape of the hull is particularly important as it determines the amount of friction with the sea. Moreover, since participants are alone on their boats and have to sail for more than 2 weeks, they are all equipped with automatic pilots. Some of theses auto pilots use state of the art technology that can, for instance, use waves to gain speed by surfing on them.
Why is La Route du Rhum so popular? The first key to the race’s success lies in the diversity of its participants. The strongest contenders are obviously professionals but most participants are amateurs. Any mechanic, baker or salesman can take part in this adventure. Secondly, the short duration of this race makes it more intense. For one week, it is all that some people talk about! Moreover, the race is well known for its sudden developments. This year, 18% of the competitors abandoned in the first three days! One boat was broken in half two by a cargo vessel. And another was struck by lightning.
But racers are willing to take these risks because, although losers stay anonymous, winners are instantly pushed into the spotlights and their names become the headlines of the most prestigious sailing magazines.
Did you know...?
In 1978, for the first edition of the race, Michel Malinovski was still in first place a few miles from the finish line. Indeed, he was the first racer to see la Guadeloupe.
However, Micheal Birch catched up on him very quickly. He overtook Malinovski just before the end of the race and won this first edition. Malinovski arrived only 98 seconds later…
A legend was born!
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire