In a few hours, the scenery of this 12th Route du Rhum has changed.
The rain and the wind set in, the pre-departure weather briefing changed the situation.
If, as of Thursday, some skippers were worried about the weather conditions expected this weekend, the organizers put an end to the suspense by announcing on Saturday morning the postponement of the start "by at least 48 hours".
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A headwind of 20-25 knots is forecast for Sunday in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), with gusts of 30 knots.
A classic pattern for a race start in November, except that the 138 participants would then have had to compose, from the first night, with winds of more than 40 knots and hollows of 8 meters.
Many were considering, as was the case in 2018, taking shelter near Roscoff.
“Everyone is relieved”
“But how do you shelter 138 boats? asks Paul Meilhat (Biotherm).
There was a lot of respect from the organizers for the skippers, they announced the postponement to us during the weather briefing, before making it official.
" " It's a relief because the race will be preserved, points out Jean Galfione (Serenis).
That's what's most important, we won't just be doing survival and adventure.
It will avoid putting yourself in the hard, having to make decisions that are not easy.
Personally, I wouldn't have taken the start, the conditions were too extreme, especially our Class40 boats had no possibility of retreating, because there was no room for everyone in the ports to start shelter.
The organizers made a wise decision.
Everyone is relieved
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"We shouldn't be playing with fire, we're not here for that, we're here to have a good race in good conditions, it's a very good decision to postpone, believes Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Popular).
From 5 meters deep, we know that it is already complicated.
We manage to face difficult conditions in the South Seas.
There, we would have been against the wind with the Breton coast not far away, the maritime traffic.
We see this core of sea formed by an old tropical depression, it is a rather exceptional phenomenon.
Being at the tip of Brittany this Monday to take pictures will be exceptional, but we will be happy to be on land!
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The departure should be rescheduled Tuesday evening, or even Wednesday morning.
“The sea will calm down, predicts Armel Le Cléac'h.
The conditions will be much more favorable from Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, to take the start.
There will still be wind and sea, but we can take the start in a more reasonable way.
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