Route de Rhum starts from St Malo: 123 boats participate.

Route du Rhum : les 123 navires se sont élancés depuis Saint-Malo, direction Pointe-à Pitre. France to Guadeloupe; Race across the Atlantic ocean.

La course transatlantique en solitaire est partie dimanche de Saint-Malo, pour rejoindre Pointe-à-Pitre, en Guadeloupe.

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Ce qu’il faut savoir. What you need to know.
Spectacle garanti dimanche 4 novembre, au large de Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine). Une flotte de 123 bateaux a pris dès 14 heures la direction de Pointe-à-Pitre, en Guadeloupe, à l’occasion de la plus mythique transat en solitaire, la Route du Rhum, qui fête pour l’occasion son quarantième anniversaire.A guaranteed spectacular launch today 4th November, off the coast of Saint Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine /Department 35). A fleet of 123 boats leave at 14h00 for Pointe-à-Pitre, in Guadeloupe (Central America), on the occasion of this most mystical of solo crossings, la Route du Rhum, which celebrates it’s 40th anniversary. (Event takes place every four years) La flotte. Elle est répartie en six catégories : d’un côté les bateaux les plus renommés, les multicoques, avec les Ultime, les Multi50 et les Rhum Multi  ; de l’autre, les monocoques, avec les Imoca, les Class40 et les Rhum Mono.Fleet: The fleet is divided into six categories: with the most popular being multicoques, including the Ultime, Multi 50, and the Rhum Multi: the others, monocoques including Imoca, Class40 and Rhum Mono.

Les skippers. Ils sont 123 : 117 hommes et 6 femmes, ils vont devoir parcourir 3 542 milles (environ 6 560 kilomètres) et tenter de battre Loïck Peyron. Le skipper avait remporté la course en 2014, en un temps record de 7 jours, 15 heures, 8 minutes et 32 secondes.

The skippers. There are 123: 117 men and 6 women, they have to sail 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 kms) in an attempt to beat Loïck Peyron. He won the race and completed the 2014 course in 7 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes and 32 seconds. 

Les géants de la mer. Pour la première fois, la victoire se jouera entre bateaux dits “volants”, ces bateaux géants capables de filer à vive allure au-dessus de l’eau. Cette flotte de la catégorie Ultime réunit des multicoques géants de 32  m de long pour 23  m de large. L’exercice est difficile, mais les skippers s’y sont préparés. Pour cette onzième édition, cinq poids lourds sont engagés :Thomas Coville (Sodebo), François Gabart (Macif), Sébastien Josse (Edmond de Rothschild), Francis Joyon (Idec Sport) et Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire).

The giants of the sea. Not For the first time, victory will be played out between the boats known as “fliers” who seem to have the ability to skim above the water. This fleet in the Ultimate category join the multicoque (hull) giants of 32 metres long by 32 metres wide. The exercise is difficult but the skippers are prepared. For this eleventh edition, five heavyweights are involved:  Thomas Coville (Sodebo), François Gabart (Macif), Sébastien Josse (Edmond de Rothschild), Francis Joyon (Idec Sport) and Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire).   

Route du Rhum : Francis Joyon établit un nouveau record. New record established by the winner Francis Joyon

Francis Joyon est le vainqueur inattendu de cette Route du Rhum. Jamais une victoire ne s’était jouée dans un finish aussi serré depuis la première édition.

Never, since this event started, has a victory been so tight at the finish.

Le trimaran de François Gabard (Macif), le 4 novembre 2018. 

Une arrivée au sprint entre Francis Joyon et François Gabart. Sept minutes d’écart seulement après 6 500 kilomètres de mer et une semaine de course. Francis Joyon réussit enfin à remporter la Route du Rhum après sept participations. À 62 ans, il savoure sa victoire et le nouveau record de la traversée. En tête depuis le début de la course, François Gabart voit la victoire lui échapper sur le fil. Il a été doublé seulement deux heures avant l’arrivée.

7 jours, 14 heures et 21 minutes

Fair-play, le trentenaire a tenu à saluer son aîné. Un suspens inattendu. À l’approche des côtes de Guadeloupe, François Gabart est encore leader, mais il est ralenti par son matériel défectueux. La décision se fait dans le contournement de la Guadeloupe, la course prend un air de régate. Francis Joyon établit en 7 jours, 14 heures, 21 minutes et 47 secondes, le nouveau record de l’épreuve.

About bill

Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer. The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013. Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI. Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug 2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website. But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien. The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50. Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea. Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
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