Edenred's Class40 boat has arrived in Saint-Malo

On Saturday, October 20, Emmanuel Le Roch set sail on the Edenred Class40 from La Trinité-sur-Mer to reach Saint-Malo, where the starting gun will be fired on the 11th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe on November 4. All competitors are expected in Saint-Malo by Wednesday, October 24 for the opening of festivities in the famous Corsair City.

A final warm-up leg with the crew

This 250-nautical-mile stretch between La Trinité-sur-Mer and Saint-Malo is the final formality for Emmanuel Le Roch before the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe really gets under way. For this send-off leg, the skipper of the Edenred Class40 is accompanied by Julien Rouault, Adrien Ledu and Arnaud Lemasne, his faithful colleagues from Nautic Sport. “It's a way of thanking them for all their hard work in recent months while spending a special moment together,” explained Emmanuel, who will leave them the reins of his company until his return from the Route du Rhum.

250 nautical miles sailing upwind

On the pontoon of La Trinité-sur-Mer, there was an upbeat atmosphere for the departure of the Edenred boat, the crew being eager to set sail one last time before the big race. With the start of the Route du Rhum a fortnight away, weather conditions look calm for the journey to Saint-Malo. Their program includes 250 nautical miles along the coast of Brittany and up the Channel in mostly upwind conditions. “We will benefit from a downwind until the Pointe de Penmarc'h and then we'll be tacking all the way to Saint-Malo. It's great training for maneuvers!” enthused Emmanuel Le Roch. “The goal is to sail in “fake solo” mode while relying on my crewmates as look-outs, especially at night, to avoid any breakage or collisions because there's always a lot of shipping on this route,” added the skipper. The Edenred Class40 is expected in Saint-Malo on Sunday evening.

Feverish atmosphere in Saint-Malo!

For this 11^th edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, Emmanuel Le Roch is one of the “rookies”. This is his first participation in the event and his first single-handed transatlantic race. Although the skipper is used to life in the fast lane, for 12 days, he will be caught up in the amazing buzz created around the Route du Rhum in Saint-Malo. Official duties, briefings, media interviews, visits by partners, exchanges with the public... Before the departure, no fewer than 2.5 million visitors are expected in Saint-Malo, submerging Emmanuel in enthusiastic crowds before he spends three weeks alone at the helm of Edenred!

Next event: 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24 in Saint-Malo for the opening of the race village and the official launch of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2018.

Follow Emmanuel Le Roch's Route du Rhum on Edenred's dedicated website

Read the press release