Alexis Thomas has withdrawn from the Route du Rhum after rudder damage and a string of other breakages forced him into a stopover in La Coruña just three days into the race.
The French skipper, sailing a boat designed by Michel Desjoyeaux, made the call in consultation with the veteran designer, who had entrusted him with the helm. Hostile weather for a restart, combined with the prospect of sailing on alone with no real competition left to chase, settled the matter.
It wasn't an easy call to make.
"It wasn't a simple decision, I can assure you I've been thinking about it for several days," Thomas said. "I talked about it a lot with Michel, as well as with Martial, my mental coach. It's never an easy decision."
For Thomas, recognising the moment to stop mattered as much as the decision itself. "At a certain point, you need to know how to persevere, but not push to the point of stubbornness."
The forecast for the days ahead ultimately guided his choice. "The weather conditions I'd be facing on this return to the race would force me to take a route very far north, even further north than the fleet," he explained. "There's a fairly well-formed low pressure system off La Coruña, and the only way through is to head well north into very strong wind and crossed seas, with fresh risk of damage to the boat."
Restarting under those conditions, alone and on a different route from the rest of the fleet, simply wasn't the race Thomas had signed up for. "What I love about offshore racing is the adventure, but also going head-to-head with others," he said. "Setting off again on a transatlantic crossing in these conditions, with no rival out there, means taking risks that, in my view, aren't worth it."
Desjoyeaux travelled to La Coruña to be with his skipper, and backs the decision fully.
Even so, Thomas takes something forward from the experience. "Giving up now is also about coming back stronger. It's a good mantra for the end of this project."
The Route du Rhum runs every four years. There will be another chance.
