It’s official! A total of 120 sailors plus 18 ‘wild cards’ were named at the end of April as official entrants to the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. This famous single-handed transatlantic race will depart from Saint Malo, Brittany, France on November 6, en route to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Now in its 44th year, the race is more popular than ever, as witnessed by the 138 entries.
According to organizers, OC Sport Pen Duick, the Notice of Race published in July 2021 limited entrants to 120. However, 149 entries were received, with several from the IMOCA Class and the Multi and Mono Rhums. To keep competitors happy while maintaining logistical and safety requirements, 18 wild card names were added to the entry list. The Class40s are the largest with 55 entries, followed by the 60-foot monohulls in the IMOCA Class. The Rhum Multi class also welcomed four wild card entries. This class features some of the most famous sailors in race history. One is Philippe Poupon, who is racing 36 years after his win in the second edition of the Route du Rhum. Poupon will helm Florence Arthaud’s Pierre 1er, a boat that’s won the Rhum twice.
The 2022 event features an all-new website, with more assessable content and tracking features during the race. www.routedurhum.com
