After a picture perfect start in bright Autumn sunshine and light, favourable winds off Saint Malo in Northern Brittany, many of the pre-race favourites are leading the 115 boat Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe fleet in solo ocean sprint’s 3542 nautical miles to Guadeloupe.
At Cape Fréhel it was Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue which took a narrow lead over Armel Le Cléac’h on Banque Populaire XI.
British born French based Sam Goodchild made an accomplished start on MACIF Santé Prévoyance and after the passage of the Fréhel mark was 1.3 nautical miles ahead of Italian Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei).
For all that Goodchild is considered to have a boat strongest in upwind conditions, in the light to moderate downwind exit out of the Channel, Goodchild was slightly quicker than the Italian which races the IMOCA which won in 2022.
In third was Violette Dorange the young sensation on the last Vendée Globe. Mentored by Brit Sam Davies, whose IMOCA Initiatives Coeur the 24 year old has taken over, Dorange started well and sailed smoothly on her well optimised boat.
On his new Malizia 4 Germany’s Boris Herrmann was in seventh and Italian American Francesca Clapcich in ninth on 11th Hour Racing.
Standout favourite Guillaume Priouelle (Sogestran Seafrigo) had assumed early control of the 49 strong Class40, notably quick on the downwind to Fréhel but with Quentin Le Nabour in second on Bleu Blanc Planete Location at around half a mile behind.
Italy’s Andrea Fornaro (Influence 2) was best non French in 11th with the Czech Republic’s Milan Kolecek (Inland Roots Ocean Soul) in 19th on his brand new Class 40.
The brand new Gitana 18 seemed to struggle initially with its large appendages dragged through the water, but the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild looked better once the wind picked up, allowing it to take flight—just like its rivals—and reach some impressive speeds.