Route du Rhum 2014

www.routedurhum.com
Saint–Malo - Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe).Start 2. November 2014
Übersicht

Thursday 25 September – 0830 GMT
Yann Guichard solo aboard Spindrift 2 for the Route du Rhum
Destination Guadeloupe 2014

Yann Guichard solo aboard Spindrift 2 for the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2014 Download Spindrift 2, the largest racing trimaran in the world
Multihull expert Yann Guichard will leave Saint-Malo on November 2nd to take on one of the biggest challenges of his career to date. He will be representing Spindrift racing, the professional sailing team he manages alongside Dona Bertarelli.

Yann Guichard
Eloi Stichelbaut / Spindrift racing

For this 10th edition of the famous Route du Rhum race, he will be alone at the helm of Spindrift 2, a 40-metre maxi-trimaran initially designed to beat crewed records. Aware of the huge stakes, the experienced sailor has worked on the boat assiduously and passionately. Over the past few months, he has put together the pieces to prepare for this unique experience and iconic Route du Rhum. The skipper continues his training off the coast of La Trinité-sur-Mer but, with just month to go, he feels that he is ready technically, physically and psychologically.

In late 2013, amidst deep thought, Yann decided to take the decision in hand: he sailed Spindrift 2 from Miami back to France in single-handed mode. Under reduced sail, he manoeuvred and steered the boat to its home port, proving that the challenge is feasible. With the support of his team, as well Spindrift racing’s partners Mirabaud, Genes-x and Zenith, the skipper decided to take the plunge. Preparations for the Route du Rhum commenced, starting with three months’ work in the boatyard.

A crewed trimaran adapted to single-handed racing, but not transformed. Converting Spindrift 2 into a single-handed boat has never been an option, and the trimaran remains first and foremost a formidable weapon for crewed challenges. That said, the Spindrift racing designers and technicians hired by Yann and Dona have used all possible skills to adapt the boat for the 2014 Route du Rhum. From January to March, hidden away in Lorient, the giant of the seas was given a makeover. The mast was shortened by six metres, reducing the sail area by a fifth to make it more manoeuvrable without the help of a crew. The cockpit, meanwhile, was condensed so it could be used by a single-handed sailor. A bicycle was also attached to the deck so that Yann could operate the winches with either his arms or his legs. Finally, an autopilot system – an essential feature for single-handed ocean racing – was both designed and fine-tuned by Spindrift racing. As Yann needs to carefully manage his onboard movements, being unable to be in more than one place at one time, he needs to have the trimaran’s controls within reach. During the race, he will thus live outside under the canopy, in a special pilot’s unit, which will host his computer, his bunk and all other necessary equipment.

Into the unknown.
The technical changes to Spindrift 2 have required significamt tests out at sea. For Yann, it has been particularly important to ensure that the boat strikes the right balance between performance and safety. Over time, he has had to get to grips again with a boat he knows inside out when sailing with a crew of 14, to see what can be achieved when sailingsingle-handed. This summer, Spindrift 2 was in Newport on standby to attempt the North Atlantic Record and 24-hour distance record. Unfortunately suitable weather conditions did not allow for the record to be attempted, so Yann left the United States in late August with a reduced crew to practise in “pseudo-single-handed mode”. After hitting a container drifting in the mid-Atlantic, the maxi trimaran made a technical stop in the Azores to replace the damaged starboard rudder. The skipper then departed on his own, sailing for the first time without the support of his crew. Yann arrived in Brittany having earned his official qualification for the Route du Rhum. More importantly, he had built up his confidence, having working day and night with a vast array of sails. Since then, the technical team has been fine-tuning every last detail to ensure that everything is in place for Yann to continue his intense physical daily training regime and navigate Spindrift 2 as much as possible in the Bay of Biscay – a mere “playground” by comparison, when one is so eager to venture into the deep waters of the Atlantic.

A test of strength.
Spindrift racing’s elegant trimaran will be the largest on the start line in Saint-Malo, making it one of the clear race favourites. But Yann is only too aware of the difficulties that lie ahead. The weather will be a key factor, as depressions are notorious for giving competitors a rough ride during these autumnal transatlantic crossings. He knows that with a boat this size, he must get his tactics right and anticipate the conditions to avoid performing manoeuvres that will slow him down and get him caught in unstable winds. Finally, the skipper of Spindrift 2 appreciates that, unlike his opponents, he is not a specialist in single-handed racing, and that his boat was not initially designed and optimised for this form of racing.

Yann is steadily and cautiously making headway in the Ultimate class, the race category which will see eight ocean-going maxi multihulls. The 40-year-old is fully aware of the strength of his partnership with Spindrift 2, but also aware of his weaknesses. The professional competitor is confident that he can rise to the challenge of sailing such a boat in this iconic event, which this year has a record 90 competitors. Don’t miss the start of this epic race!

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Discover what happens behind the scenes at Spindrift racing in the web series “40 mètres solo” available on YouTube.

Yann Guichard: Born on May 23rd, 1974 in Paris.
Results: 2014: winner of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud aboard D35 Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing 2013: sets new Discovery Route record with Spindrift 2 in a time of 6d, 14h, 29m. 2013: winner of the Fastnet Race aboard Spindrift 2 2012: winner of the the Krys Ocean Race and the Multi One Championship aboard the MOD70 Spindrift
2011: runner-up in match racing and third in fleet racing in San Diego in America’s Cup World Series aboard Energy Team 2010: fourth in the 2010 Route du Rhum aboard Gitana 11 2006 and 2007: sets a new North Atlantic Record aboard Orange (2006) and Groupama 3 (2007) 2005 and 2007: runner-up Transat Jacques Vabre 2000: fourth in the Sydney Olympic Games

Spindrift 2 info:
Launched: August 26th, 2008 Architects VPLP & Spindrift racing design team Boatyards: CDK technologies (deck), Lorima (mast), North Sails (sails) Length of main hull: 40 metres
Length of outrigger hulls: 37 metres width: 23 metres Displacement: 21 tonnes Draught: 5.1 metres Air draught: 41 metresMainsail: 365 m2 (310 kg) Reacher: 292 m2 (110 kg) Staysail: 166 m2 (120 kg) ORC: 72 m2 (70 kg) Gennaker: 440 m2 (115 kg)

About Spindrift racing: Spindrift racing is a professional sailing team, founded in late 2011 by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard. The elite team currently has three boats: the D35 “Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing”, the MOD70 “Spindrift”, and the maxi-trimaran “Spindrift 2”. A team of around thirty leading experts work passionately at sea and on shore to optimise the boats and ensure that Spindrift racing is able to embrace each of its sporting challenges.

Spindrift racing press contact:
International Sabina Mollart-Rogerson M: +44 (0)7922 140148 E: sabina@seaclearcommunications.com