Having left since Sunday afternoon, some skippers of the Route du Rhum are already experiencing great difficulties on Monday because of the storm announced in the night. This is particularly the case of former pole champion Jean Galfione (Serenis Consulting) who had to make a stopover in Brest this afternoon.
Several navigators engaged in the road of Rum sheltered Monday in Breton ports, including that of Brest, in order to escape the violent storm announced in the Bay of Biscay, before resuming the sea ... or not.Arrived in the afternoon at the Port of the Castle, in Brest, Jean Galfione (Serenis Consulting) assured not to abandon the mythical race despite his stop. "For now, I'm asking myself, I'm blowing, I'm going to take stock, a weather point, a point on me," said the former athlete before adding: "if unfortunately I have to stop there and give up it would be very disappointing .
"It's been a week already that we stress a lot, some more than others, including me," continued the former pole vaulter, visibly tired and disappointed. "I was very positive when I left, telling myself that it will do it [...] and then with a little analysis, files that have turned again, and a kind of anxiety that has proved stronger than what I could not control, I said no, do not go in there , "he said.
Not far from his Class40, the boat of another skipper engaged in the Transatlantic, Erwan Thibouméry. "We took a lot of rain, a lot of rain and a lot of sea," he testified, explaining having water all over his multihull (Gold.fr) and having broken his VHF antenna.
"I said to myself we're going to put all that nickel back on the place, to make a second, very good start," once the lows have passed. "I do not aim for victory with my boat [...] and I prefer to be tonight at the port of the Castle than in eight meters of waves in the southern Bay of Biscay," he admitted.
As for Jérémie Beyou on "Charal", he also made his way to Brest Monday evening, following a damage bar.Other skippers were diverted to Roscoff, as Louis Burton (Office Valley), while the ports of Lorient , Douarnenez, Camaret and La Rochelle stood ready to welcome competitors preferring to escape the strong storm announced Tuesday in the Bay of Biscay, with already very muscular conditions scheduled for the night from Monday to Tuesday.
Leaving Saint-Malo Sunday early in the afternoon in good conditions, the fleet of 123 boats has already suffered. A boat ran aground on Sunday evening, that of Willy Bissainte (C 'La Guadeloupe), while two of the favorites, Sébastien Josse and Thomas Coville, suffered major damage on their big boats, Ultim.The rules of the race allows two stopovers without penalty for each boat.