In five weeks, the tenth edition of the Route du Rhum will be starting
from St. Malo. Among the 90 solo sailors taking part, we find nine
Vendée Globe skippers, four of which are serious contenders for victory
in Pointe-à-Pitre: François Gabart, Vincent Riou, Jérémie Beyou and Marc
Guillemot, for whom this Rhum will be a return match after the last
Vendée Globe. We take a look at those, who will be lining up.
Who will succeed Roland Jourdain, twice winner of the Route du Rhum in
the 60-foot IMOCA category? While Bilou is not back to defend his title
this winter, nine skippers will be lining up on 2nd November
aboard the Vendée Globe monohulls for a 3,543 mile race between St. Malo
and Pointe-à-Pitre. They were all there at the start of the last
non-stop solo round the world race with the exception of Armel Tripon,
skipper of the former Groupe Bel, now renamed "Humble Heroes".
Four favourites lining up - Some are in it to win it and are not hiding their ambitions. That
is certainly the case for the winner of the last Vendée Globe, François
Gabart, who will be competing in his very first Route du Rhum, but also
in his final race in the IMOCA circuit, as he is about to move on to a
maxi-trimaran. “It would be quite exceptional after the Vendée Globe
to go and win the Route du Rhum. It is never easy for a sportsman to
show perfect consistency, but that’s what makes it so exciting,”
explained the young skipper. Another self-declared favourite is Jérémie
Beyou, who won his third Solitaire du Figaro this summer and became of
one of the legends of the event. “The line up for this edition is of
a very high standard. I’m going to be facing some top class opposition,
but I don’t have any complex about that. We’re going to have to work
hard during the first few days of the race and make the right decisions.
It all happens quickly on an IMOCA and you have to get it right…”
Vincent Riou also has some lofty ambitions. Winner
of the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe and more recently the 2013 Transat
Jacques Vabre alongside Jean Le Cam, he is racing for the third time in
the Rhum after being forced to retire in 2006 and finishing fifth in
2010. “My approach this time is very differnt from in the previous
two races, when the race was part of my preparation and the boat’s
preparation for the Vendée Globe. It was not a goal in itself, but this
time I’m taking part to win the race. This Route du Rhum is at the top
of my list of priorities.” His rivals have been warned.
The
fourth sailor to watch closely is Marc Guillemot, who is competing in
the Rhum for the fifth time, and for the third time in the colours of
Safran. “If I didn’t really believe that winning was possible, I
wouldn’t be setting off. I’m really focused on winning this one. I know
too that if I feel I have pushed hard all the way to the finish, that
too will be a success.”
So clearly these four sailors have got the bit between their teeth and
in theory, overall victory in Guadeloupe is likely to go to one of
them...(www.vendeeglobe.org)
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