Thomas Coville and his Sodebo Ultim'2 have just crossed the finish line after 16 days, 7 hours, 45 minutes and 36 seconds of racing. Victim of a damage of liaison during the Route du Rhum 2018, Coville had finally made the decision to leave, four years after its abandonment. He finished third in the Ultimate category, behind the winner Francis Joyon and his runner-up François Gabart.
The journey of Thomas Coville has just ended after a 2018 Route du Rhum complicated with his Sodebo Ultim'2. It took the skipper 16 days, 7 hours, 45 minutes and 36 seconds to join Saint-Malo in Pointe-à-Pitre.
Thomas and #SodeboUltim just passed the finish line of the #RDR2018
after 16 days 7 hours 45 minutes 36 seconds of racing! pic.twitter.com/ExnjIrg8W7
Stuck in Coruña for several days, Coville was lagging far behind its competitors. The cause: one of its hull-float link had worrying cracks as it ended with the Bay of Biscay. In front of the extent of the damage, the Breton had diverted to Corunna to try to repair.
Nevertheless, he refused to give up and continued the race to finish third in the Ultimate behind Francis Joyon and François Gabart. This is the third time in his career that Thomas Coville finishes in 3rd place in the Route du Rhum, he who had already reached the podium in 2006 and 2010, still under the colors of Sodebo who has supported him for 20 years.