The 138 sailors set off from Saint-Malo and headed for Cap Fréhel. The first problems soon followed.
About fifteen knots of headwind, a beautiful sea but not too rough, a clear sky: the 138 sailors of the 12th edition of the Route du rhum took off this Wednesday at just 2:15 p.m. off Pointe du Grouin in Saint Malo. Ideal conditions to launch this 2022 edition, even if the solo sailors had to start their journey by tacking to go through the gate installed in front of Cap Fréhel, before heading out to sea.
From the first hundred meters, the camera images showed an impact on the hull of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild skippered by Charles Caudrelier. The favorite boat in the Ultims category seems to have hit something, but his team quickly wanted to reassure people. “It’s alright, an ancient impacttweeted Team Gitana.
Less than half an hour after the start, two bad news broke announcing the injury of Sam Goodchild, skipper of the trimaran Ocean Fifty Lleyton, hit in both arms and in the face. The former Figaro sailor headed for the Saint-Malo port as Oren Nataf was forced to turn back after a mainsail problem aboard his Rhum Multi Rayon Vert.
SEE ALSO – Route du Rhum: “The small boats will suffer during the first week” due to the weather
