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Route Du Rhum Race 2014
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English link on the race tracker page link and further translation available on the weather page.
Hope this helps
Tracker Link Page
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He actually slowed the boat for safer sailing single handling for the race.
The biggest extreme racing trimaran to date.
Some would say expert. Some would vote him sailor on the year which he should be. Better that Spithill.
As it so often does La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe sees deeply contrasting fortunes on the race course between Saint-Malo and Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe this Saturday evening.
Race leader Loick Peyron has just over 700 miles to go to the finish line with a lead of 180 miles over second placed Yann Guichard.
Ahead there seems a fighting chance of a victory in the mythical French transatlantic, one win which has so far eluded him over six previous attempts. And the icing on the cake is a possible chance of beating Lionel Lemonchois' race record of 7 day 17 hours which he set in 2006. Peyron's target is to cross the line before 0619hrs UTC (0719hrs CET/0219hrs local) on the morning of Monday 10th.
Monohull insufficiently prepared for heavy weather.
Monohull insufficiently prepared for heavy weather.
![](http://medias.routedurhum.com/images/240x180/2014_Bibliotheque/CLASS40/Bateaux/Bateau_exterieur/Humphreys_Catphones3.jpg")
Around 1600hrs CET (1500 TU) this Friday afternoon English solo skipper Conrad Humphreys, who was racing in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe reported that the mast of his Class 40 Cat Phones had come down.
Humphreys, from Plymouth, Devon is safe and well. His position at the time was approximately 400 miles west of Lisbon.
He reported that wind and sea conditions were moderate at the time and he was sailing under main and gennaker.
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Loick Peyron wins La Route Du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe in record time
10 Nov 2014
Thirty two years after the first of his seven attempts, French ocean racing star Loick Peyron won the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe this Monday morning (TU) when he crossed the finish line of the solo race from Saint-Malo France to Pointe-a-Pitre at 04:08:32 TU/05:08:32 CET/00:08:32 local. The lone skipper of the 31.5m (103ft) Ultime trimaran Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII completed the 3,542 miles course in 7d 15h 8m 32s.
His elapsed time is a new outright record for the course passage, which was first raced in 1982, breaking the 2006 reference time set by Lionel Lemonchois (7 days 17 hours and 9 minutes) by 2hrs 10mins 34secs.
Peyron sailed the 3,524 NMs theoretical course at an average of 19.34kts. In reality he sailed 4,199NM at an average of 22.93kts.
Jann Guichard second across the line in Route du Rhum
11 Nov 2014
When he crossed the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre Guadeloupe at 18:18:46 hrs UTC/19:18:46 CET/14:18:46 hrs local time this Monday 10th November, Yann Guichard, solo skipper of the world's biggest racing trimaran Spindrift 2, finished in second place in the 10th edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. He took 8d 5h 18mn 46sec at an average 17.95 knots, to complete the theoretical course distance of 3,542 miles at an average speed of 17.95 kts, Guichard finished 14 hours, 10 minutes and 14 seconds behind the race winner Loick Peyron. In reality the French skipper of Spindrift 2 sailed 4,334 miles at an average of 21.96 knots.
Yann Guichard - first words: "There were some really tough moments on the race, but I managed to hold on right to the end. I knew I could race on the boat, believed that I could do it. On the second day I had some technical problems and one of the autopilots stopped functioning. This caused enormous stress.
"Where I most lost ground on Loick (Peyron) was with the maneouvers. They just took so long and had to be planned very carfully. I had a couple of scary moments, the first few days of bad weather and then off Portugal too. The maneouvers were so so tough. It is not easy to manage racing the boat and I do not think I could do this alone again. I have never pushed myself like this. It took me 4 hours to to get the gennaker up and spent over 2.5 hours on the bow trying it properly. I had tears in my eyes. The sheer physical effort was unbelievable.
"We do need machines like this to be on the podium, but it was so tough. Richard Silvani and Erwan Israel were there and supported me throughout guiding me through the best route and their help was immense. Now I am going to rest and analyse the performance because we do not have long, we are under pressure because next year we are off again.
"I am proud and believed I could do it; I was probably one of the only ones in the team to think so. Now is time to have a rest; I do not think I have slept for more than 2 hours over past week and am just shattered. It is time to enjoy the welcome and then have some rest. I am really exhausted. It was the biggest challenge of my life. I am so happy now to be in Guadeloupe. They were eight very hard days. I had a lot of manoeuvres. The speeds were incredible. It was difficult to sleep. My boat is too big for one singlehanded man.
10 Nov 2014
Thirty two years after the first of his seven attempts, French ocean racing star Loick Peyron won the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe this Monday morning (TU) when he crossed the finish line of the solo race from Saint-Malo France to Pointe-a-Pitre at 04:08:32 TU/05:08:32 CET/00:08:32 local. The lone skipper of the 31.5m (103ft) Ultime trimaran Maxi Solo Banque Populaire VII completed the 3,542 miles course in 7d 15h 8m 32s.
His elapsed time is a new outright record for the course passage, which was first raced in 1982, breaking the 2006 reference time set by Lionel Lemonchois (7 days 17 hours and 9 minutes) by 2hrs 10mins 34secs.
Peyron sailed the 3,524 NMs theoretical course at an average of 19.34kts. In reality he sailed 4,199NM at an average of 22.93kts.
Jann Guichard second across the line in Route du Rhum
11 Nov 2014
When he crossed the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre Guadeloupe at 18:18:46 hrs UTC/19:18:46 CET/14:18:46 hrs local time this Monday 10th November, Yann Guichard, solo skipper of the world's biggest racing trimaran Spindrift 2, finished in second place in the 10th edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. He took 8d 5h 18mn 46sec at an average 17.95 knots, to complete the theoretical course distance of 3,542 miles at an average speed of 17.95 kts, Guichard finished 14 hours, 10 minutes and 14 seconds behind the race winner Loick Peyron. In reality the French skipper of Spindrift 2 sailed 4,334 miles at an average of 21.96 knots.
Yann Guichard - first words: "There were some really tough moments on the race, but I managed to hold on right to the end. I knew I could race on the boat, believed that I could do it. On the second day I had some technical problems and one of the autopilots stopped functioning. This caused enormous stress.
"Where I most lost ground on Loick (Peyron) was with the maneouvers. They just took so long and had to be planned very carfully. I had a couple of scary moments, the first few days of bad weather and then off Portugal too. The maneouvers were so so tough. It is not easy to manage racing the boat and I do not think I could do this alone again. I have never pushed myself like this. It took me 4 hours to to get the gennaker up and spent over 2.5 hours on the bow trying it properly. I had tears in my eyes. The sheer physical effort was unbelievable.
"We do need machines like this to be on the podium, but it was so tough. Richard Silvani and Erwan Israel were there and supported me throughout guiding me through the best route and their help was immense. Now I am going to rest and analyse the performance because we do not have long, we are under pressure because next year we are off again.
"I am proud and believed I could do it; I was probably one of the only ones in the team to think so. Now is time to have a rest; I do not think I have slept for more than 2 hours over past week and am just shattered. It is time to enjoy the welcome and then have some rest. I am really exhausted. It was the biggest challenge of my life. I am so happy now to be in Guadeloupe. They were eight very hard days. I had a lot of manoeuvres. The speeds were incredible. It was difficult to sleep. My boat is too big for one singlehanded man.
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:LA Route Du Rhum Race 2014
Francis Joyon Trimaran IDEC
Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal
Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal
Computers are down on Francis Joyon's IDEC which is now up to third place overall in the Ultime class, 160 miles behind race leader Loick Peyron. But the innovative and vastly experienced, super self reliant Joyon is scarcely perturbed Francis is having to do without his computer. He joked (he's the only one who would find it funny): "So, looking at the computer situation, the small laptop is dead, while the main computer only stays on for a minute, while the third one just won't boot up. It's not great, but occasionally I get my hands on a wind chart or an e-mail from my router, Jean-Yves Bernot.
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Francis Joyon Trimaran IDEC
Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal
Francis Joyon, some things are not ideal
Computers are down on Francis Joyon's IDEC which is now up to third place overall in the Ultime class, 160 miles behind race leader Loick Peyron. But the innovative and vastly experienced, super self reliant Joyon is scarcely perturbed Francis is having to do without his computer. He joked (he's the only one who would find it funny): "So, looking at the computer situation, the small laptop is dead, while the main computer only stays on for a minute, while the third one just won't boot up. It's not great, but occasionally I get my hands on a wind chart or an e-mail from my router, Jean-Yves Bernot.
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First Monohull yacht has not arrived and still racing. First 50 multihull trimarans have.
All can be viewed on the tracker.
Tracker Link Page
[/URL]
All can be viewed on the tracker.
Tracker Link Page
[/URL]
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RKJ
RJK is currently back in 5th 5 miles behind 3rd.
Gonna be a nailbiter.
Major kudos to RKJ driving a 60 footer singlehanded at 75.
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NEWS BITS
NEWS PAGE
IMOCA 60 Class
60 Trimarans
Gabart's Race
Gabart's Route du Rhum was carefully modulated. He proved on the Vendee Globe that he is an innately fast, confident and hard driving skipper, belying his tender years in the class. This time he lead since Cape Frehel just after start line on Sunday November 2nd and was never passed.
After less than 24 hours racing he was already 3 miles ahead and in control of a pack comprising Beyou and 2004-5 Vendee Globe winner Vincent Riou and Marc Guillemot. Riou was a closer contender before he had to retire with structural damage to his mainsheet track while a combination of small problems hobbled the challenge of Guillemot (Safran) who finished third in 2010. South of the Azores, Beyou cut the corner back to the north-west and closed the gap to less than 20 miles, but Gabart was able to extend on the SW side of the Azores high when he manoeuvred into better breeze and progressively opened out on each position report.
When he crossed the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe this Friday afternoon to win the IMOCA 60 Class in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, Francois Gabart completed a vey rare back-to-back solo ocean double, adding the Route du Rhum solo Transatlantic to his 2012 victory in the Vendee Globe, the solo non stop around the world race.
Just as he won the legendary Vendee Globe at 29 at his first attempt, the youngest ever winning skipper, so today he also added the Route du Rhum title on his first time in the four- yearly solo race from Saint Malo to Guadloupe.
Remarkably just four years ago he was in Guadeloupe to greet and help Michel Desjoyeaux. In the intervening period he launched his IMOCA 60 project, sailed only three solo races and won all three.
In Class 40 Alex Pella is still holding that lead of about 73 miles on Kito de Pavant.
And in the Rhum Class Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is now up to third place on Grey Power.
Robin J K
Curry Night on Grey Power
We are getting more squalls now, usually with rain. The wind rises and veers, usually about 2 points of the compass ( 22 1/2 degrees), but we did have one very heavy rain squall where it shifted 5 points and for a while we were steering 260 degrees on the port tack,so, since I cannot set wind control of the compass I have to stay ready to turn downwind or we would be knocked on our side. So I camped out in the cockpit, throwing my bed through the hatch every time it rained. These squalls will increase as we approach the Windies, and present a problem as far as sail setting is concerned, in the squalls we have too much sail, but between them them, when the wind subsides, we have too little. This is the weak point on this boat as with everything so big, a sail chage takes time, sometimes longer than the gap between the squalls and calms, so one tends to be cautious and inevitably lose speed.
We are now in the Tropics after all but its a pity man cannot work out how to get this rain land 2000 miles east of here.
Busy night for shipping as well, as I saw 3 ships so we must be on a shipping lane. There may have been others when I was dozing but none came within the safety zone on my plotter which sets off an alarm, either from radar or AIS. INTERESTING FACT
I forgot my seabird book which is annoying as there were two small black birds, the size of petrels, with a flash of white beneath the wing on the body, dancing around the boat. Probably chasing flying fish which have been jumping out of the water at our approach and then gliding along the top of the surface. They don't actively fly, but they build up speed in the water, launch themselves into the air, and then their extended pectoral fins act as wings. Its when they climb too high they land on deck and then usually die.
FULL AND MORE STORIES ON THE NEWS PAGE LINK
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Cake Running Out on Grey Power
Another cockpit night with squalls coming through. One wipe-out, bottom rising and sailing fast over on our side until he managed to get across the cockpit and let the mains sheet go and get the Auto pilot back on. We had too much canvas up for anything but a very small angle right downwind just trying to stop Mura getting too far away. I took in the first reef to make the boat more manageable, but we are still getting bursts of over 20 knots speed on occasions.
Under 1000 miles to go to the finish just after 1500 your time yesterday That is a straight line though, and we shall have to put in a gybe. Its the timing of that gybe which will matter from a tactical perspective.
The official time on the boat is now 3 hours behind the UK. TY his is because I am more than 45 degrees west longitude, so the sun rises 3 hours after the UK. Just as it rises about 20 minutes later than London in Cornwall.
I doubt the cake will last to the finish. Its a quarter disappeared already!
:hothead: :hothead: :hammer: :hothead
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Caseneuve first to Guadeloupe in the Rhum Class
Anne Caseneuve (Aneo) crossed the finish line of the 10th Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe on Wednesday 19th November at 20:06:03hrs UTC as winner of the Rhum Class which had mustered six multihulls and 14 monohulls.
The solo skipper of Aneo took 17d 7h 6m 3s for the 3542 miles between Saint-Malo and Pointe-a-Pitre but in reality sailed 4740 miles at an average speed of 11.42 knots.
This is Caseneuve's fifth Route du Rhum after competing in 1998 in the Class 2 multihulls in which she finished 24th, in 2002 she was second, she abandoned in 2006 and was seventh in the Multi50 Class in 2010.
On her 50 ft trimaran once she found her stride after the two days of tough gales she really had little in the way of close opposition, the other Multihulls in the Rhum class were smaller or designed for cruising. And of the monohulls only Andrea Mura (Open 50, Vento di Sardegna) could claim to have paced her early on, in the first phase of the race, but thereafter she just extended progressively at the front of the fleet.
But she sailed a smooth, accomplished race. After Cape Frehel she was soon in the lead before she began the long descent between Ushant and Finisterre. She stayed true to her strategy, working south while Andrea Mura sailed a more northerly route, closer to the Rhumb line by the Azores. Caseneuve was nearly 200 miles closer to the coast of Spain at one point, working close to Madeira and the Canaries before making more west quickly.
Caseneuve negotiated the first days of gales in good shape and so was able to press the 50 foot multi at close to 100%. She immediatly gains when Mura, her nearest rival gets snared in the light winds emanating off the SE corner of the Azore high. From there she really only lengthened her stride, soon having 350 miles on the Italian and 500 miles on Wilfred Clerton (Cap au Cap Location).
And she seemed able to just extend progressively, 50 miles or more each day. After 17 days of racing she is 650 miles ahead, and well into the peloton of Class 40.
In the end she finishes in 17d 7h 6m 3s two days better than the defending champion Andrea Mura (2010 19d 09h 40m 30s)
She said:
Anne Caseneuve " It was a good race, my race was fluid, I did not break nothing. I enjoyed it and it was fast. The start was hard it was a real highlight. But is is a great race and I love it. I am glad to finish and this place is great.
"In this Rhum class, I improved over time, but I have not improved my race time because I've been faster. There were perfect conditions, the sustained wind all the time during the trades, that was superb. My boat is powerful and so fast. I had a rudder problem I was a little limited in the speeds. But this is not very serious jus uncomfortable. I n 'not have the positions of competitors,
I learned that Sir Robin Knox Johnston was third. it's really magic, he is a great sailor. I respect him a lot, I would like be there to greet him.
this is my last Route du Rhum, I have done five, that's it"
Anne Caseneuve (Aneo) crossed the finish line of the 10th Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe on Wednesday 19th November at 20:06:03hrs UTC as winner of the Rhum Class which had mustered six multihulls and 14 monohulls.
The solo skipper of Aneo took 17d 7h 6m 3s for the 3542 miles between Saint-Malo and Pointe-a-Pitre but in reality sailed 4740 miles at an average speed of 11.42 knots.
This is Caseneuve's fifth Route du Rhum after competing in 1998 in the Class 2 multihulls in which she finished 24th, in 2002 she was second, she abandoned in 2006 and was seventh in the Multi50 Class in 2010.
On her 50 ft trimaran once she found her stride after the two days of tough gales she really had little in the way of close opposition, the other Multihulls in the Rhum class were smaller or designed for cruising. And of the monohulls only Andrea Mura (Open 50, Vento di Sardegna) could claim to have paced her early on, in the first phase of the race, but thereafter she just extended progressively at the front of the fleet.
But she sailed a smooth, accomplished race. After Cape Frehel she was soon in the lead before she began the long descent between Ushant and Finisterre. She stayed true to her strategy, working south while Andrea Mura sailed a more northerly route, closer to the Rhumb line by the Azores. Caseneuve was nearly 200 miles closer to the coast of Spain at one point, working close to Madeira and the Canaries before making more west quickly.
Caseneuve negotiated the first days of gales in good shape and so was able to press the 50 foot multi at close to 100%. She immediatly gains when Mura, her nearest rival gets snared in the light winds emanating off the SE corner of the Azore high. From there she really only lengthened her stride, soon having 350 miles on the Italian and 500 miles on Wilfred Clerton (Cap au Cap Location).
And she seemed able to just extend progressively, 50 miles or more each day. After 17 days of racing she is 650 miles ahead, and well into the peloton of Class 40.
In the end she finishes in 17d 7h 6m 3s two days better than the defending champion Andrea Mura (2010 19d 09h 40m 30s)
She said:
Anne Caseneuve " It was a good race, my race was fluid, I did not break nothing. I enjoyed it and it was fast. The start was hard it was a real highlight. But is is a great race and I love it. I am glad to finish and this place is great.
"In this Rhum class, I improved over time, but I have not improved my race time because I've been faster. There were perfect conditions, the sustained wind all the time during the trades, that was superb. My boat is powerful and so fast. I had a rudder problem I was a little limited in the speeds. But this is not very serious jus uncomfortable. I n 'not have the positions of competitors,
I learned that Sir Robin Knox Johnston was third. it's really magic, he is a great sailor. I respect him a lot, I would like be there to greet him.
this is my last Route du Rhum, I have done five, that's it"
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Seventh Heaven For Merron?
British solo sailor Miranda Merron crossed the finish line of the 3542 miles La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo Transatlantic race off Pointe-a-Pitre this Thursday afternoon at 16:17:25hrs UTC 12:17:25hrs local time in seventh place from a Class40 field of 43 starters.
She was due to be promoted to sixth after a 24 hours time penalty imposed on a rival who finished across the line fourth is computed.
Her result comes as the French-based racer's combination of 15 hard years of short-handed, solo and crewed ocean racing is perfectly matched to a very reliable, well prepared good all round boat - on which she has sailed all but 120 of the 49,000 miles on 'La Licorne's' log.
Between Pointe-a-Pitre's heavy rain showers and spells of burning Caribbean sun, she may have mused after finishing this afternoon that she had been 'too cautious' but her pragmatism, where others pressed too much or lost focus, gained her one place in the final 30 miles, and it could be argued also the one place after finishing.
Merron smiled: "I did not tell anyone what my ambitions were before the start but a top 10 was my highest hope. I did benefit from some attrition in the fleet but that is the way of. I am so delighted, just delighted. It will take some time to sink in."
She arrived neither shaken nor stirred and was promoted to sixth as a result of a 24 hours penalty imposed on Yannick Bestaven - who had finished fourth but who had hit South Africa's Philippa Hutton Squire's Class 40 a glancing blow on the first night.
The French skipper was struggling to regain control and deal with his own pressing issues but the impact damaged the rig of Hutton-Squire's boat, requiring her to retire.
"Philippa did not get to finish her race and so I'll have that place and I was really careful through last night just to hold it together." Merron quipped.
"Maybe, just maybe I was too conservative, but you could argue I gain two placed because I am. Certainly in the second half I maybe feel I was, but there is also a level of attrition. There are guys who might normally have beaten me who are now home on their sofas, having pulled out, or are way behind me." she ventures sitting with a cold Heineken on the well travelled Class 40 she shares with her life partner Halvard Mabire who lies 17th some 270 miles from the finish.
Sailing the Finot-Conq designed optimised Pogo S2 champagne de France, Merron 's elapsed time for the passage is 18d 3h 17m 25s. The legendary solo race which taks place only every four years started from Saint Malo, France on Sunday 2nd November. In reality she sailed 4347 miles at an average speed of 9.99kts. Merron finished 1d9h30m17s after Class40 winner Spain's Alex Pella.
After a long time duel with French rival Fabrice Amedeo (who held seventh place) - after 9 days racing they were a few hundred metres apart Merron passed him this morning less than 30 miles from the finish after he had to pitstop at Basse Terre.
A tightly wrapped spinnaker meant Amedeo chose to halt to fix his problem - receiving outside help from his technical team - thereby required to stop for a minimum of four hours. Even though he was so close to the finish he considered it too unsafe to try and sail the final upwind miles under the threat of the big squalls which were passing through.
Merron's biggest problem - such as it was - was racing only with her back-up wind instruments which offered less accurate and refined information. By design her conservative start, waiting minutes until the traffic cleared, was followed by an astute passage at Ushant where she timed her passage through the first front well, getting immediately up to sixth in the fleet. She fought well in these realms, between sixth and ninth for most of the race.
"Second half I was tiered and always seemed to end up on the wrong gybe. That was the way of it I suppose and some of it was down to the back up instruments."
It is Merron's second Route du Rhum and her best major solo race result of her career.
"I don't know if I had any real preconceptions coming into the race because I have not done very much solo racing. I even enjoyed bits of this race. I am happy in myself and some of that comes with being on this boat which I know and totally trust. Now I seem to just be able to get on with it. I was probably just a bit too cautious because it is our boat and I did not want to break it. That was not an option. I sailed the first half well. But caution has just won me a place."
"There were times when I was sending it and the boat just does not have the same speed as the others downwind - and so I think also I did pretty well to just hold on to them."
"Getting reports every hour really does keep you on your toes."
Of the well publicised rivalry with her partner Mabire, one of France's most renowned offshore all-rounder's, she plays it down. He has the newer, theoretically faster but less proven boat which the duo have given many months together to building, finishing and preparing:
"I have never beaten him, but equally I would have had to retire if I had his boat. He had a broken link arm and that would have been the end for most people. But I have time to prepare a nice welcome for him."
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Seventh Heaven For Merron?
British solo sailor Miranda Merron crossed the finish line of the 3542 miles La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo Transatlantic race off Pointe-a-Pitre this Thursday afternoon at 16:17:25hrs UTC 12:17:25hrs local time in seventh place from a Class40 field of 43 starters.
She was due to be promoted to sixth after a 24 hours time penalty imposed on a rival who finished across the line fourth is computed.
Her result comes as the French-based racer's combination of 15 hard years of short-handed, solo and crewed ocean racing is perfectly matched to a very reliable, well prepared good all round boat - on which she has sailed all but 120 of the 49,000 miles on 'La Licorne's' log.
Between Pointe-a-Pitre's heavy rain showers and spells of burning Caribbean sun, she may have mused after finishing this afternoon that she had been 'too cautious' but her pragmatism, where others pressed too much or lost focus, gained her one place in the final 30 miles, and it could be argued also the one place after finishing.
Merron smiled: "I did not tell anyone what my ambitions were before the start but a top 10 was my highest hope. I did benefit from some attrition in the fleet but that is the way of. I am so delighted, just delighted. It will take some time to sink in."
She arrived neither shaken nor stirred and was promoted to sixth as a result of a 24 hours penalty imposed on Yannick Bestaven - who had finished fourth but who had hit South Africa's Philippa Hutton Squire's Class 40 a glancing blow on the first night.
The French skipper was struggling to regain control and deal with his own pressing issues but the impact damaged the rig of Hutton-Squire's boat, requiring her to retire.
"Philippa did not get to finish her race and so I'll have that place and I was really careful through last night just to hold it together." Merron quipped.
"Maybe, just maybe I was too conservative, but you could argue I gain two placed because I am. Certainly in the second half I maybe feel I was, but there is also a level of attrition. There are guys who might normally have beaten me who are now home on their sofas, having pulled out, or are way behind me." she ventures sitting with a cold Heineken on the well travelled Class 40 she shares with her life partner Halvard Mabire who lies 17th some 270 miles from the finish.
Sailing the Finot-Conq designed optimised Pogo S2 champagne de France, Merron 's elapsed time for the passage is 18d 3h 17m 25s. The legendary solo race which taks place only every four years started from Saint Malo, France on Sunday 2nd November. In reality she sailed 4347 miles at an average speed of 9.99kts. Merron finished 1d9h30m17s after Class40 winner Spain's Alex Pella.
After a long time duel with French rival Fabrice Amedeo (who held seventh place) - after 9 days racing they were a few hundred metres apart Merron passed him this morning less than 30 miles from the finish after he had to pitstop at Basse Terre.
A tightly wrapped spinnaker meant Amedeo chose to halt to fix his problem - receiving outside help from his technical team - thereby required to stop for a minimum of four hours. Even though he was so close to the finish he considered it too unsafe to try and sail the final upwind miles under the threat of the big squalls which were passing through.
Merron's biggest problem - such as it was - was racing only with her back-up wind instruments which offered less accurate and refined information. By design her conservative start, waiting minutes until the traffic cleared, was followed by an astute passage at Ushant where she timed her passage through the first front well, getting immediately up to sixth in the fleet. She fought well in these realms, between sixth and ninth for most of the race.
"Second half I was tiered and always seemed to end up on the wrong gybe. That was the way of it I suppose and some of it was down to the back up instruments."
It is Merron's second Route du Rhum and her best major solo race result of her career.
"I don't know if I had any real preconceptions coming into the race because I have not done very much solo racing. I even enjoyed bits of this race. I am happy in myself and some of that comes with being on this boat which I know and totally trust. Now I seem to just be able to get on with it. I was probably just a bit too cautious because it is our boat and I did not want to break it. That was not an option. I sailed the first half well. But caution has just won me a place."
"There were times when I was sending it and the boat just does not have the same speed as the others downwind - and so I think also I did pretty well to just hold on to them."
"Getting reports every hour really does keep you on your toes."
Of the well publicised rivalry with her partner Mabire, one of France's most renowned offshore all-rounder's, she plays it down. He has the newer, theoretically faster but less proven boat which the duo have given many months together to building, finishing and preparing:
"I have never beaten him, but equally I would have had to retire if I had his boat. He had a broken link arm and that would have been the end for most people. But I have time to prepare a nice welcome for him."
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LATEST
Robin Knox Johnson
Three into Two Don't Go!
The battle for the second and third steps on the Rhum class podium intensifies by the mile and it is an unpredictable, exciting mix of three solo skippers who are all in the mix. Sardinia's Andrea Mura - who won the class in 2010 - is in the box seat on his Felci designed Open 50 with a lead of just under 40 miles on Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who still holds third place. And a further 29 miles behind is Wilfred Clerton on the 75ft ULDB ex Kriter VIII.
Key to the podium is likely to be who deals with the passage round the lee side of the island best, the difficult miles from La Tete a L'Anglais.
Sir Robin, inspired and up for the final battle wrote this morning:
Back into 3rd place, but cane we hold it? We have had an amazing run of luck with the wind, as only late last night did we get pushed off the direct course for the north end of Guadeloupe. It means we shall have to put a couple of gybes in to get around the top, but they won't be huge ones. This has lead to a tightening of the positions between 2nd and ourselves in 4th, too soon to see whether it will be enough for us to close right up. We were just 15 miles further from the finish than Cap au Cap in 3rd place at midnight GMT with 350 miles to go. Its all going to come down to how you get through the wind shadow of the mountains on the west of the island.
So it has been a continuation of the crashing ahead policy, keeping the speed high and aiming as close as possible to the rhumb line.
That makes for fun with one of my little treats, the sea water shower. Getting the bucket to go into the water at the transom, instead of bouncing along behind, can be difficult. Even when you do fill it, half the contents are bounced out before you can haul it back on board. Still its worth it. That delicious stream of hot sea water over ones head is a delight few, outside sailors, would appreciate. RKJ
Multihull 50 ft CLASS
Erwan Le Roux on FenetreA-Cardinal wins the Multi50 Class into Guadeloupe
When he crossed the finish line at 18:13:55 TU/19:13:55 CET/14:13:55hrs local this Thursday 13th November Erwan Le Roux (FenetreA-Cardinal) won the Multi50 class of the 10th edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. The solo skipper completed the 3542 miles theoretical course in 11d 5h 13m 55s at an average speed of 13.16kts. In terms of actual miles on the water, Le Roux sailed 4071miles for an average speed of 15.12kts. Le Roux sets a new course record, beating the 2006 course record of his former co-skipper Franck-Yves Escoffier by 12 hours and 15 mins .
Erwan Le Roux enjoyed a great duel with his nearest adversary Lalou Roucayrol who finished runner-up in the last edition in 2010. Although they were close for most of the first half of the race, Erwan Le Roux finished with an advance of over 100 miles.
He completes a rare Transatlantic double, adding solo success in this La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe to double-handed victory one year ago when he triumphed in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Yann Elies into Itajai, Brazil. On his way to this keynote victory Erwan Le Roux has shown a solid mastery of all the vital variables required to win, meteorology, strategy, sleep, manoeuvres, strength and stress management.
After finishing 6th in the 2010 edition of this race, this is Le Roux's biggest solo success.
Jubilant on the dock in Pointe a Pitre he said:
"The Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is always a race right up to the finish line. It was great coming along the coastline but you never really know what can happen right up until the finish, that is part of the legend of the Route du Rhum. Lalou has raced hard and was behind but it is always complicated around the island. He is a good sailor and we had a great race together so thanks to him. I had a little problem with the autopilot which in the end did not affect my win. I have had to push so hard to beat Lalou, every mile, every hour, every ranking, I always was fighting to make distance. I know my opponents and how hard they push. It was a really good race. I knew this boat was the best to win La Route du Rhum.
It is a boat which I helped to build with Franck-Yves Escoffier in 2009 and 20011. FenetreA-Cardinal bought me this boat because we had a common history. This victory is mine. This was not two handed, this was me, solo and no one can take it away from me."
Le Roux is as talented as he is pugnacious and determined. He started from Saint-Malo determined to add to last year's success. The Breton skipper from Auray has now won most of the major events since he purchased the boat in 2011. Built in 2009 as Crepes Whaou 3 to the VPLP design, Le Roux actually won the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre on the boat when it was new, as co-skipper to owner-skipper Franck-Yves Escoffier.
Le Roux, 40, has grown in experience and stature in recent years. He served his time in the ORMA class at the shoulders of Marc Guillemot, Loïc Peyron, Thierry Dupré, Daniel Souben, and in the Multi 50 along with Franck-Yves Escoffier. He also had earlier success in monohulls previously, twice winning the Tour de France a la Voile, also racing successfully in Classe40 and the Mini 650.
He fought a tough, close game, head-to-head off the tip of Brittany with Yves Le Blevec (Actual) and Lalou Roucayrol (Arkema-Region Aquitaine). Loic Fequet (Maitre Jacques) was very quickly eliminated from the action after damaging a float on the first night.
HIS RACE
The first part of Biscay was a classic chess board with Roucayrol hunting offshore out in the west. Yves Le Blevec lead early on, on Actual. He fell away after having to make a double pit-stop to repair his wind instruments.
The early profit, being closer to the rhumb line was to Roucayrol. Le Roux went inside the TSS at Finisterre and after duelling since Finisterre with Roucayrol, he took the lead on the night of 6th November and has never been challenges. Lalou Roucayrol's newer 2013 launch Neyhousser/Verdier/Muyl design is faster downwind and the battle between the two went on for nearly 2000 miles until Erwan Le Roux eases progressively further ahead, opening up to 100 miles in the final 48 hours to record a well earned victory into Guadeloupe
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Sir Robin Knox Johnston and Andrea Mura
Andrea Mura on Vento di Sardegna gets Rhum Class second, first Mono
Italian solo skipper Andrea Mura crossed the finish line of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, the solo Transatlantic race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-a-Pitre,
Guadeloupe at 15:19:36hrsTU this Saturday 22nd November, sailing to second place in the Rhum Class.
In his Open 50 Vento di Sardegna the sailor from Cagliari, Sardinia finished first monohull in the Class which mustered 20 starters in Saint-Malo back on Sunday 2nd November.
Mura, who won the Classs in the last edition in 2010, completed the 3542 Nm course in an elapsed time of 20d2h19m36s, computed at an average speed of 7.34kts for the direct course. In reality he sailed 4565 miles, averaging 9.46 kts. He finished in Pointe-a-Pitre 2d 19h 13m33s after the Rhum Class winner Anne Caseneuve on her Multi50 trimaran Aneo. Mura's course record of 2010 at 19d09h40m30s holds up.
It has not been an easy passage for Mura on this edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Aboard his optimised Umberto Felci designed Open 50 on which he won the last edition as well as the Quebec-Saint Malo race in 2012, Mura's early choice of sticking close to the Rhumb line - the direct course - after Ushant seemed to give him a big early lead but paying the price of sailing in tougher weather.
He was more than 70 miles ahead of Anne Caseneuve as she passed Cape Finisterre but at the Azores, after six days of racing, the positions changed. He struggled by being closer to the centre of the anticyclone, enduring spells of lighter winds.
Ahead of him the IMOCA 60s had managed to slip under the high, but as it expanded he was slowed. Off the Azores the speeds of Vento di Sardegna dropped at times to three knots. This held him back.
But it took six days for Mura to get back on terms with the leading monohull, Wilfred Clerton (Cap au Cap Location) and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (Grey Power) and the small yellow trimaran of Jean-Paul Clerton (Berto Group) but Anne Caseneuve could extend as expected with her faster Multi50.
Once established he did not let go of his second place, working to the south again through rainstorms, squalls and calms.
As Anne Caseneuve won the class with a lead of some 700 miles Mura retained control but Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the 75 year old on his Open 60 Grey Power maintined a relentless pressure and was just less than 15 miles in third place when Andrea Mura secured second into Pointe-a-Pitre. And so the Italian skipper who is building a new IMOCA 60 for the Vendee Globe takes second, first monohull, but may regret being put up against the faster Multi 50.
Mura said:
"I was helming 14 to 16 hours per day which is good for training but I got caught in the Azores high pressure for three days. It was really stressful.
My Comment Can't your shore navigators read a weather map.
I was following the IMOCA 60s but they got past the high and it expanded and caught me it was very difficult.
My Comment . Why did you sail there. Have words with your shore navigators and advisers.
I was there at the wrong time, The high expanded south and caught me. I did my best to keep the boat moving, often just one knot more than the windspeed. "
"I am sad that the Rhum class was not split into Mono and Multi. Four years ago there was only three trimarans but this time there was five and I think they should have had their own start. There was enough to make a class.
Anne sailed a very good race but her boat is much faster. She did a fantastic race."
"I wanted to wait for Sir Robin and cross the line with him because he made a fantastic race. He is great. He is not so young and every time he was pushing and he kept trying something new. Sometimes I thought he was done, left in a hole, but he kept coming back, born again."
My Comment.
Why not have the whole race - not divided with classes - but with the VPP handicap system for all.
Then and only then one can judge who is the most efficient and smarter sailor or team for a specific long ocean race.
Andrea Mura on Vento di Sardegna gets Rhum Class second, first Mono
Italian solo skipper Andrea Mura crossed the finish line of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, the solo Transatlantic race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-a-Pitre,
Guadeloupe at 15:19:36hrsTU this Saturday 22nd November, sailing to second place in the Rhum Class.
In his Open 50 Vento di Sardegna the sailor from Cagliari, Sardinia finished first monohull in the Class which mustered 20 starters in Saint-Malo back on Sunday 2nd November.
Mura, who won the Classs in the last edition in 2010, completed the 3542 Nm course in an elapsed time of 20d2h19m36s, computed at an average speed of 7.34kts for the direct course. In reality he sailed 4565 miles, averaging 9.46 kts. He finished in Pointe-a-Pitre 2d 19h 13m33s after the Rhum Class winner Anne Caseneuve on her Multi50 trimaran Aneo. Mura's course record of 2010 at 19d09h40m30s holds up.
It has not been an easy passage for Mura on this edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Aboard his optimised Umberto Felci designed Open 50 on which he won the last edition as well as the Quebec-Saint Malo race in 2012, Mura's early choice of sticking close to the Rhumb line - the direct course - after Ushant seemed to give him a big early lead but paying the price of sailing in tougher weather.
He was more than 70 miles ahead of Anne Caseneuve as she passed Cape Finisterre but at the Azores, after six days of racing, the positions changed. He struggled by being closer to the centre of the anticyclone, enduring spells of lighter winds.
Ahead of him the IMOCA 60s had managed to slip under the high, but as it expanded he was slowed. Off the Azores the speeds of Vento di Sardegna dropped at times to three knots. This held him back.
But it took six days for Mura to get back on terms with the leading monohull, Wilfred Clerton (Cap au Cap Location) and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (Grey Power) and the small yellow trimaran of Jean-Paul Clerton (Berto Group) but Anne Caseneuve could extend as expected with her faster Multi50.
Once established he did not let go of his second place, working to the south again through rainstorms, squalls and calms.
As Anne Caseneuve won the class with a lead of some 700 miles Mura retained control but Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the 75 year old on his Open 60 Grey Power maintined a relentless pressure and was just less than 15 miles in third place when Andrea Mura secured second into Pointe-a-Pitre. And so the Italian skipper who is building a new IMOCA 60 for the Vendee Globe takes second, first monohull, but may regret being put up against the faster Multi 50.
Mura said:
"I was helming 14 to 16 hours per day which is good for training but I got caught in the Azores high pressure for three days. It was really stressful.
My Comment Can't your shore navigators read a weather map.
I was following the IMOCA 60s but they got past the high and it expanded and caught me it was very difficult.
My Comment . Why did you sail there. Have words with your shore navigators and advisers.
I was there at the wrong time, The high expanded south and caught me. I did my best to keep the boat moving, often just one knot more than the windspeed. "
"I am sad that the Rhum class was not split into Mono and Multi. Four years ago there was only three trimarans but this time there was five and I think they should have had their own start. There was enough to make a class.
Anne sailed a very good race but her boat is much faster. She did a fantastic race."
"I wanted to wait for Sir Robin and cross the line with him because he made a fantastic race. He is great. He is not so young and every time he was pushing and he kept trying something new. Sometimes I thought he was done, left in a hole, but he kept coming back, born again."
My Comment.
Why not have the whole race - not divided with classes - but with the VPP handicap system for all.
Then and only then one can judge who is the most efficient and smarter sailor or team for a specific long ocean race.
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Three boats still sailing as the exciting 4 year La Route Du Rhum race continues with Eric Jail having 480nms approx. to sail, and the 3 have missed the prize giving party. What a shame. Eric's first participation. But I suppose with a name like that he would never leave jail first.
http://www.routedurhum.com/images/1024x768/banque_images/2014-_-classe-rhum_452/Jail_DefiCat_Web1.jpg
There is certainly more interest re this race than the Volvo from this website and other websites. Why is that. A new thread perhaps ? Na.
News tracker Page
http://www.routedurhum.com/images/1024x768/banque_images/2014-_-classe-rhum_452/Jail_DefiCat_Web1.jpg
There is certainly more interest re this race than the Volvo from this website and other websites. Why is that. A new thread perhaps ? Na.
News tracker Page
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