Taking on the Route du Rhum
August 21st, 2010 | Published in Route du Rhum | 19 Comments
Sailors, more than most people, are likely to turn their gaze skyward. Sails need trimming and the next weather system is forever on the approach. I have been looking up in a different sense, searching for an opportunity to build upon my experiences in last year’s Mini Transat and move up to bigger boats and longer races.
Taking a page from the self-help book “Jump and the Net Will Appear” I have chartered a new generation Class 40 yacht and have entered the legendary Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race in October. Yet I am still looking for a title partner for my project.
The Route du Rhum was made famous by heart stopping first race in 1978 when a little 9 metre trimaran helmed by Canadian Mike Birch sneaked across the line a mere 98 seconds before a monster monohull. In the space of a minute and a half an entire generation of French solo sailors were inspired to take to the seas on multihulls, where they remain the world’s specialists.
The race has continued to serve up drama without pause. In 2002 a massive storm rocked the fleet in the race’s opening hours, smashing the fragile trimarans inspired by Birch decades before. In the premier 60 foot class, only 3 of 18 competitors finished the course, with many left to be rescued from the pieces of their high tech machines. In 2006, the tables were turned and it was the records that were obliterated. Lionel Lemonchois piloted his trimaran down the course in just over 7 days at an average pace in excess of 19 knots.
With less than 100 days to go, the 2010 edition looks like it will be epic. The limits on the boats have been removed and as a result Frank Cammas will be solo onboard the same machine that he and 9 others claimed the Trophée Jules Verne in 48 days. In all there will be four hundred footers in the hunt as well as the IMOCA and Class 50 Trimaran classes. However, with over 40 boats its the Classe 40s that will fight each other for every inch along the way.
In this traditionally French race, I am the sole non-European and only native anglophone. In preparation I recently raced the Classe 40 World Championships where on the coastal races we scored 2nd and 4th against a fleet of top boats. I then set out for 1500 miles solo between the great capes of Finisterre, Fastnet and Lands End. These marks were quickly dispatched as the acceleration zones are familiar territory after my Mini 6.50 races and I was able to push the boat hard immediately.
In comparison with the flighty Mini the bigger boat is rock solid and with the addition of more wind keeps going faster and faster. I flew past Finisterre solo in 36 knots of wind under spinnaker with the speedo pegged on 18…19…20… 25!
But first, the race is on to get to the start line.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Francis Colledge, Conrad Colman. Conrad Colman said: Taking on the Route du Rhum, I take on my new project! http://bit.ly/bTAHyO [...]
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