Rain did little to dampen the mood in Saint-Malo today as the Route du Rhum village threw open its gates, with Ocean Fifty, Vintage Multi and IMOCA boats arriving in numbers just after midday ahead of the next edition of the Route du Rhum, Destination Guadeloupe.
Anne-Claire Le Berre, aboard Up Wind by Merconcept, led the Ocean Fifty fleet through the lock at 12.45pm, the first of a procession of towering masts easing through to applause from spectators lining both sides of the basin. Hoods up against the drizzle, the crowd still broke into wide smiles. "They're magnificent, every four years it's a spectacle you don't miss," said one onlooker.
Dominique, a self-described regular, had no hesitation when asked which class he'd choose. "I'd take an Ocean Fifty, they're the right size and they're beautiful."
As the multihulls kept arriving, and before the IMOCAs joined the parade, the first boats were already tying up in the Duguay-Trouin basin to cheers from the crowd. Phones were out everywhere. Michel, who has been coming to the village since 2010, admitted he knows little about boats but keeps returning regardless. "It's so pretty... and there's rum!"
Breton drizzle met Creole music drifting through the village, warming the atmosphere and, briefly, drawing out a few rays of sunshine to round off the opening day.
The official ribbon was cut around midday by Gilles Lurton, mayor of Saint-Malo and president of Saint-Malo Agglomération, alongside Joseph Bizard, managing director of OC Sport, Julie Coutts, managing director of OC Sport Pen Duick, and Camille Pélage, vice-president of the Guadeloupe Regional Council. Lurton called it "a powerful and founding moment," while Pélage spoke of "the beginning of a great adventure." Coutts added: "This isn't just a boat race, it's a complete and immersive adventure."
Elsewhere in the Rhum's fringe programme, an exhibition titled "La Route de la Victoire" opened at La Chapelle de la Victoire, featuring models of legendary race boats alongside the event trophy. It's open daily from 10am to 6pm.
The village's daily nod to Guadeloupe focused today on Jacques Palasset, the first Guadeloupean to contest the Route du Rhum. He was not far off forty when he arrived in Saint-Malo in 1978, having only completed his qualifying passage, from Pornichet to Spain, weeks earlier.
Technical trouble caught up with him fast once racing began. Then, cut off from any means of communication, he dismasted mid-course.
Days passed with no word reaching shore. He was presumed lost for so long that his wife received condolences. Palasset held on, though, and reached Guadeloupe on a Sunday, ten days after Mike Birch's victory, exhausted and with two broken ribs. Dozens had gathered after Mass to welcome him home regardless.
