Damien Seguin has won the Vintage Multi class at the Route du Rhum, sailing into Guadeloupe beneath a spectacular golden sunset after a long loop around the island. Fishing boats and locals came out to greet him on the water, a fitting welcome for a sailor returning, in effect, to his own back yard.
It is Seguin's fifth Route du Rhum, and the boat he sailed is a genuine veteran of ocean racing, previously campaigned by legends of the sport including Mike Birch and Loïck Peyron.
"This is my fifth Route du Rhum and I wanted to write a slightly different story, both a personal one and part of the history of the race," Seguin said. "This boat brought joy to the great offshore races with renowned skippers on board, Mike Birch and Loïck Peyron among them. This trimaran is a true legend and I'm incredibly proud to have restored it. This is its first ever win on the Route du Rhum. The circle is complete for the boat, and in a way for me too, because I'm coming home."
The final stretch was far from straightforward.
"The Côte sous-le-Vent was particularly tricky to get past, with very early wind and then fairly strong, gusty conditions later on," he said. "The buoy at Basse-Terre was very difficult to round. I missed a tack just before it, which wasn't fun at all. Then there was getting out through the Canal des Saintes. Thankfully there was that beautiful arrival. You forget all the problems a little when you come in like that."
There were sharp battles within the class too. Seguin tangled early with Francis Joyon on Océans.
"On the first day there was already a battle with Francis Joyon. Unfortunately, when he capsized, he was almost right beside me. Fifteen minutes earlier we could see each other. He gybed to take an option, but you could tell we were both right on the limit and he had no intention of being overtaken by some young upstart."
News of Joyon's capsize hit hard. "The following 24 hours were difficult. Especially since things weren't simple for me either, I had a big wipeout a few hours later and destroyed my whole bowsprit. With this kind of boat, once you've had a real scare, it leaves a mark. But at the same time, I think on these boats the fear of flipping is exactly what keeps you upright."
Seguin also had Eric Perron, on French Touch - Oceania Hotels, to contend with. "I know he potentially had a boat that was better than mine. Every time conditions got tough I attacked much harder than him and opened up the gap. I knew the level of commitment I was capable of putting in, and that made the difference."
He reflected on the scale of the achievement given the boat's age and design. "You have to realise this is a boat from last century, with a 32-metre mast. It's an incredibly complicated boat to handle, to keep upright. I didn't sail half a race, I committed, I went fast, I attacked, the boat responded brilliantly and that's in my nature too, so I'm very, very proud of the race I sailed. We really clicked, the boat and I. We got on well."
