The 13th Route du Rhum, Destination Guadeloupe got underway in spectacular fashion on Sunday, with all 115 skippers crossing the start line at 1.02pm after thirteen days of festivities and crowds lining the docks at Saint-Malo.
Gone were the grey skies, rough seas and brutal conditions that have marked previous editions. Sailors instead got a cloudless blue sky, flat sun, and a medium north-easterly of 8 to 11 knots, about as gentle an entry into one of ocean racing's toughest tests as anyone could ask for.
Easy conditions on the water did not mean an easy state of mind on board. Skippers still had to thread their way through a packed fleet without colliding, all while trying to nail the timing of the gun. Shore crews left the boats just four minutes before the start, leaving each sailor properly alone for the first time.
The fleet got away cleanly after crossing the 3.2-mile (5.9km) line, with one exception. Three skippers were handed penalties for jumping the start: Christophe Rateau (Gustave Roussy) and Marco Guerra (Imagin'Act-Socomec) in Class40, and David Ducosson (Trilogik) in Vintage Multi.
The fleet's first target was Cap Fréhel, a mandatory passing point 16 miles (29km) from the start. As expected, the big multihulls peeled away from the direct line to build speed, preparing for two gybes to clear the Cap Fréhel gate. Armel Le Cléac'h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) led around the mark before being overtaken by Tom Laperche (SVR-Lazartigue).
South of the line, the IMOCAs had their spinnakers up and looked capable of reaching the gate in a single leg. Skippers stayed alert throughout, working to avoid collisions and the usual pitfalls of a race start.
Sail changes, trim adjustments and tactical calls were already well underway across the fleet as the sailors settled into the most intense of ocean sprints.
