Guirec Soudée crossed the finish line of the twelfth edition of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe this Thursday, November 24 at 08:21:48HRS utc. He finished 27th in IMOCA with a race time of 14 days 18 hours 58 minutes 48 seconds. The Freelance.com skipper completed the 3,542 mile course between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre at a speed of 9.98 knots on the great circle (the direct route). He actually covered 4,199.40 miles at an average speed of 11.83 knots. Guirec Soudée arrived in Pointe-à-Pitre 3 days 1 hour 22 minutes 23 seconds after the winner of the IMOCA Class, Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut).
Guirec Soudée's reaction to the pontoon, this Thursday morning*:
“Obviously, I am relieved and happy to have completed this Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. It was a great experience despite some ups and downs. The objective was to finish and get my qualification for the Vendée Globe and bring the boat back in good condition. It's a bit damaged, there are two or three things missing. I had problems with my sails and I lost time. And though the result is nothing too great, that doesn't matter. I don't worry about that even if the idea of a race is to fight with others. I tried to overtake a few competitors and that poves I am getting more and more competitive and have it mostly under control. It's really going in the right direction. I had a lot of fun. I'm still in shock thinking I have just sailed across in two weeks, those aren't really my normal averages. Before, I had done my first transatlantic in 113 days (2014) then in 74 days rowing (2020). It's cool to make a crossing on such a fast boat, even if you're focused on its performance. I feel privileged to have arrived. »