"The Route du Rhum is unmissable. It's both a magical and unmissable event", explains to AFP Joyon, for whom this new participation was clear in his mind since last year.

The Route du Rhum, the first edition of which was held in 1978, is a transatlantic race which takes place every four years and which has always left Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine) to reach Pointe-à-Pitre ( Guadeloupe).

In 2018, Joyon won for the first time in his career, at 62, after a duel of anthology with François Gabart.

"This victory is memorable. I had François on the phone yesterday, we said to ourselves that we were going to try to do the same thing again, perhaps not in the same order for him! But we would still like to pull the plug and put as much passion and intensity into it", underlines the sailor with multiple records.

The joy of the French skipper Francis Joyon, winner of the Route du Rhum, on November 12, 2018 in Pointe-à-Pitre, in front of his compatriot François Gabart LOIC VENANCE AFP / Archives

Joyon will sail on an Ultim multihull (32 meters long maximum) built 16 years ago and which enabled him to win the Route du Rhum but also to set several records, including that of the crewed round the world in 40 days and 23 hours.

"The Route du Rhum is the race I have practiced the most but I also liked the world tours, the English Transat", he notes.

"What I like about the Route du Rhum is that it's a transatlantic race that always starts a little later in the year, there's always a big difference in weather between the end of October and the beginning of November. , the depressions arrive, the conditions are difficult at the start, I am alone in managing the boat. There is an adventure side that there is no longer in other races".

The multihull Ultim "Idec", helmed by skipper Francis Joyon, during its victorious arrival in the Route du Rhum, November 11, 2018 in Pointe-à-Pitre LOIC VENANCE AFP / Archives

At almost 66 years old (May 28), the skipper is still in good shape.

"My cardiologist told me that I had the heart of a young man, I was too proud!".

"I don't do sport for sport, but more sport for pleasure. I cycle in the evening, kitefoil because I want to do it. It's still quite fun to do all that, that's it. key for the desire to continue", he assures.

The joy of the French skipper Francis Joyon, winner of the Route du Rhum, on November 12, 2018 in Pointe-à-Pitre LOIC VENANCE AFP / Archives

The boat is currently under construction and should be relaunched in mid-April, with a new set of sails and new cables and continuity in the reliability work of a sailboat "well born and structurally well designed ".

Until this summer, Joyon will be sailing with a crew before taking sole charge of the red boat in the colors of Idec, his sponsor for 20 years with whom he has never had a contract.

"I can stop overnight, too. It's original but it works well!" Joyon says.

© 2022 AFP