In less than a year's time, the finest oceanic sailors will line up at the start of the 12th edition of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. On Sunday 6 November 2022, the six categories competing will set off on a single course, unchanged since 1978, the year the queen of transatlantic races was created. Before the starting gun is fired, the sailors will have been in contact with the general public throughout the opening period of the village, from 25th October until the start. A popular sharing that they will naturally find again at the finish. Cultivating a heritage firmly anchored between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe, OC Sport Pen Duick, organiser of the event, wished to innovate for this 2022 vintage and propose some great novelties...
All in "the" same pool!
Back in the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe since 2010, the giants of the seas had until then, due to their exceptional dimensions, struggled to find space in the Malouins basins and were forced to moor outside, next to the Gare Maritime de la Bourse. Over the last few months, constructive exchanges between the Ultims teams and OC Sport Pen Duick have enabled progress to be made on the possibility of mooring the largest trimarans in the basins reserved for competitors. In 2022, the Ultims will join the fleet of 8 Ocean Fifty, 25 Imoca, 55 Class40, 12 Rhum Mono and 12 Rhum Multi in the Vauban and Duguay-Trouin basins. All the boats will be grouped together along the emblematic quays of the race, at the foot of Intra-Muros and the Palais du Grand Large.
An XXL village
From 25 October to 6 November 2022, Saint-Malo will come alive with the colours of La Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe and an XXL village. Extended by one day compared to 2018, the village will occupy a surface area of 70,000 m2 in the immediate vicinity of the docks, i.e. 15% more than the previous edition. With shipowners' stands, public areas, media and partners, this lung of animation of the race will breathe the usual energy into its actors and its visitors. This 2022 village will distil the magic of the Rhum, making the experience unique and unforgettable... all with comfort and ergonomics! An experience that will naturally continue at the finish, as the islands of Guadeloupe prepare to welcome the sailors with the popular fervour that characterises them and fifteen days of colourful festivities. These will take place mainly around the ACTe Memorial, a place of culture and memory, the ideal gathering point for the sailors, the media and the general public at the time of the arrivals.
Parades in St-Malo to show off the boats
Another new feature in 2022 is the work on the organisation of pre-start parades, which should not only liven up the village during its first week of opening, but also give the general public the opportunity to see the boats evolve outside of the start day. In front of the ramparts of the city of Saint-Malo, each class will have a dedicated day to parade, in order to show the whole fleet. A strong week which will add to the atmosphere of this period and the effervescence which characterises it.
At the finish, the competitors will also find this parade format with the incredible panorama of the Guadeloupean islands as a backdrop.
A renewed visual identity, "pop and colourful"
The change and novelty of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2022 will also be reflected in a new visual, a new graphic identity combining pop spirit and colours! The poster is based on the strong markers of the race: the black and white stripes of the Brittany and Saint-Malo regions as well as the sunny shades of Guadeloupe... one leading to the other. Playing with nuances, a multitude of sails of different sizes evokes the richness of the sporting line-up that will have to deal with a mythical course. This new signature of the race will be used on all communication media.
The partners at work
The loyal supporters of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe have already put their bags on board, some for several years, others for a few months, but all in the spirit of contributing to the success and construction of an unforgettable 2022 edition. In the forefront, the Guadeloupe Region, Exclusive Major Partner, the City of Saint-Malo, the Region of Brittany and the CIC, Main Partners, are already hard at work to offer sailors and the general public a welcome, experiences and encounters out of the ordinary.
Take the start of the 1978 Route du Rhum!
The invitation can be confusing but Virtual Regatta offers sailors, professionals or amateurs, to jump 43 years back in time and take the start of the 1978 edition of the race... on board the famous little yellow trimaran on which Mike Birch made history. With identical technical conditions, the reference time of 23 days 6 hours 59 minutes and 35 seconds is to be beaten. See you this Sunday 5th December at 7pm for the start!
