The basins of the port of Saint-Malo will fill up this weekend with the arrival of 34 boats. The fleet should be complete for Wednesday, opening day of the village of Route du Rhum.
Even if the village of Route du Rhum is not open yet, there should be a show in the port today and tomorrow. 34 boats that will start the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, November 4, are expected this weekend.
"9 boats will be at 6:30 am this morning and 6 at 4:30 pm in the afternoon. Sunday morning, two boats will enter and in the afternoon, we will welcome 17 boats to the airlock at 15:36 and 16:36, "says Jacques Caraës, director of the race. With the twenty or so boats already arrived, a good part of the fleet will be there by the end of the weekend.
Ultimate after October 24th
On paper, all the boats participating in the Route du Rhum must be present for Wednesday, October 24, the day of the opening of the village, at 18:30. In his program, Jacques Caraës noted the arrival of four Monday boats and 25 boats Tuesday.
But the stars of the race, the Ultimate, will actually arrive after the 24. All but one, the boat Use it Again by Romain Pilliard, formerly skippered by Ellen MacArthur, will not be able to enter the harbor. They will have to moor outside, at the hold of the Stock Exchange. Banque Populaire will arrive on Thursday morning, Sodebo 4 on Friday morning, Macif on Friday afternoon and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild on Tuesday 30 October.
"The port movements are quite complicated, we preferred to make them happen in a second time," said Jacques Caraës, who had to face a sacred puzzle to fit everyone in the port.
Convenient. The Village is not yet open, visitors do not have access to the docks this weekend. On the traffic side, access to Intramuros is via the Naye roundabout. Many car parks are occupied by the village. The best solution is to park outside and come by bus.