Special envoy to Pointe-à-Pitre
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Route du Rhum: live, the positions and rankings of the boats on the cartography of the 12th edition
The sailors of the Route du rhum had therefore decided to play with our earthly nerves until the end this year.
After the standoff between Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmonde de Rothschild) and François Gabart (SVR-Lazartigue) separated from 3h15 on Wednesday at Pointe-à-Pitre at the Ultims, then Erwan Le Roux (Koesio), winner ahead of Quentin Vlaminck (Arkema ) for nineteen miserable minutes on Sunday, it was the turn of Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) and Charlie Dalin (Apivia) to play a formidable score overnight from Sunday to Monday.
With the victory, at the end of the suspense, of Ruyant.
Dalin returned to within 8 miles of Ruyant
We thought that Dalin, dispossessed of his first place on Friday after having masterfully dominated the debates from Saint-Malo, was going to be able to reverse the trend.
In the very tricky bypass of the island from the west, the Northerner found himself stuck along the coast, almost at a standstill.
Apivia thus returned to less than eight miles from Ruyant, under pressure, but who passed the last freeing buoy in front of the Saintes archipelago before picking up some wind and heading towards the finish line in the Caribbean night, (just before 8 hours in Paris).
Its time: 11 days, 17 hours, 36 minutes and 25 seconds.
Dalin is expected a good hour later, logically followed by Jérémie Beyou (Charal), an excellent third on a boat launched very recently.
A royal top three.
Read alsoRoute du rhum: live, the positions and rankings of the boats on the cartography of the 12th edition
The native of Saint-Paul-sur-Mer already knew the taste of victory on the Route du rhum.
Twelve years ago, it already won in the monohulls, but in Class40.
At 41, he has written the most beautiful line of his record against the big favorite in the category, who had recently won everything except the Vendée Globe last year (first on the line but second after the compensation granted to Yannick Bestaven for his participation in Kevin Escoffier's research).
To say that the victory of this father of two children is a surprise would be greatly exaggerated.
Ruyant was at the helm of a boat almost identical to that of his rival, released the same year and designed by the same architect, Guillaume Verdier.
The Northerner knew how to bide his time, ready to jump at Dalin's throat, waiting for the slightest weakness.
The exhausting battle of tackling the tacks when hitting the trade winds on Friday turned the race upside down.
Ruyant took control of the event and has not left them since.
Read alsoSailing: for the Ultims, heading for the solo world tour
The success of Dunkirk also carries a strong symbol, a powerful message of solidarity.
Solitary and united, the browser defends the colors of LinkedOut, a platform for helping the most disadvantaged.
“
Not sailing just for my apple brings more meaning to what I do
,” he confided to Le Figaro before setting off in the Vendée Globe, which he finished in sixth place.
Thomas Ruyant before the start of the Route du rhum Jean-Louis Carli
A great disappointment for Dalin, 2nd as in the Vendée Globe
For Dalin, this second place will certainly have a bitter taste.
Apivia was unquestionably the best boat on the grid, the most optimized in any case.
The page of the marriage between Le Havrais and Apivia will turn on this failure since the Imoca has been sold (to Clarisse Crémer and Banque Populaire).
The Norman will continue the adventure in Imoca on a new boat, currently under construction, with victory in the Vendée Globe (2024) in sight.
Like Thomas Ruyant who will swap his LinkedOut for a new monohull.
These two have not finished writing the history of ocean racing in the most emblematic class of single-handed monohulls.
The sailors who have written the legend of the Route du rhum since 1978
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