“The Route du Rhum is a must.
It is both a magical and unavoidable event.
Since last year, the browser has been sure of itself.
Francis Joyon will return on November 6 for the famous solo race, at the age of 66.
His eighth appearance.
The Route du Rhum, the first edition of which was held in 1978, is a transatlantic race which takes place every four years and which has always left Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine) to reach Pointe-à-Pitre ( Guadeloupe).
In 2018, Joyon won for the first time in his career, at 62, after a duel of anthology with François Gabart.
“It is memorable, this victory.
I had François on the phone yesterday, we thought we were going to try to do the same thing again, maybe not in the same order for him!
But we would still like to get out of the way and put as much passion and intensity into it”, underlines the sailor with multiple records.
Joyon will sail on an Ultim multihull (32 meters long maximum) built 16 years ago and which enabled him to win the Route du Rhum but also to set several records, including that of the crewed round the world in 40 days and 23 hours.
“There is an adventure side that there is no longer in other races”
“The Route du Rhum is the race that I have practiced the most but I also liked the round the world races, the English Transat, he notes.
What I like about the Route du Rhum is that it's a transatlantic race that always starts a little later in the year, there's always a big difference in weather between the end of October and the beginning of November, the depressions arrive, the conditions are difficult at the start, I am alone in managing the boat.
There is an adventure side that there is no longer in other races”.
At almost 66 years old (May 28), the skipper is still in good shape.
“My cardiologist told me that I had the heart of a young man, I was so proud!
I don't do sport for sport, but more sport for pleasure.
I cycle at night, kitefoil because I want to.
It's still quite fun to do all that, that's the key to keep the desire going, ”he says.
The boat is currently under construction and should be relaunched in mid-April, with a new set of sails and new cables and continuity in the reliability work of a sailboat "well born and structurally well designed ".
Until this summer, Joyon will be sailing with a crew before taking sole charge of the red boat in the colors of Idec, his sponsor for 20 years with whom he has never had a contract.
“I can quit overnight, too.
It's original but it works well!
“says Joyon.
