Thibaut Vauchel-Camus crossed the finish line off Pointe-à-Pitre at 8.44am and 38 seconds local time on Wednesday 11 November, sealing second place in the Ocean Fifty class behind overnight winner Basile Bourgnon. It capped a hard-fought scrap that nearly swung the other way after a late penalty threatened to undo his race.
The skipper of Solidaires En Peloton by Delanchy finished in 10 days, 0 hours, 42 minutes and 38 seconds, 7 hours 32 minutes 15 seconds behind the winner. That gap came despite a 60-minute penalty picked up in the closing miles for an accidental engine ballast failure. He held on anyway, as the chasing pack closed in behind him.
This was personal territory for Vauchel-Camus. Guadeloupe, the "butterfly island", is where he grew up and where his family and friends still live. After capsizing there in the 2022 edition, this race carried a distinct whiff of redemption.
He went in with eyes open about the gap to Bourgnon's flying Edenred. Rather than burn himself out chasing the man he affectionately calls "Basilix", Vauchel-Camus plotted a more northerly line in search of extra miles. Two days into the race, as the fleet crossed the high-pressure ridge, he turned west for a solo gamble.
It didn't pay off. By the time he rejoined the direct route, Bourgnon still led the way, and Vauchel-Camus settled into second, tucked in the leader's wake.
"Nothing is ever written" in ocean racing, as Vauchel-Camus himself said in the days before finishing. He very nearly proved it true when Bourgnon tore his J0 and was forced to slow sharply. Vauchel-Camus pounced, closing the gap to just 0.7 miles on the Monday. Both boats then stalled in a windless patch, and it was Bourgnon who found the escape breeze first, pulling away again.
While Bourgnon celebrated his win, Vauchel-Camus endured an agonising final stretch, the penalty striking in the last miles as Wewise closed in on the horizon behind him. He held on regardless, to take the silver medal.
It's a strong result on his fourth Route du Rhum, Destination Guadeloupe. He had reached the same podium step once before, in Class40, back in 2014.
