This Thursday, November 24, at 11:33:20 UTC Xavier Macaire on Groupe SNEF crossed the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre in sixth position in Class 40 on the 12th edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Former Figaro ace Macaire set a race time of 14 days 22 hours 18 minutes 20 seconds. The skipper of Groupe SNEF completed the 3,542 mile course between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre at a speed of 9.89 knots on the great circle (direct route). He actually sailed 4056.26 miles at an average speed of 11.32 knots. He arrived in Pointe-à-Pitre 19 hours 09 minutes 40 seconds after the Class40 winner, Yoann Richomme. Macaire was right in the match in the top two to five and was second when he had to slow to make a composite repair to his bow. He also finally lost a place to rival Antoine Carpentier at the conclusion of the close, intense match race around the island to the finish line.
Xavier Macaire (Groupe SNEF): mixed emotions
“I have a lot of mixed emotions and different feelings. There are good things but there are some things that niggle me at the end of the race especially as I was overtaken. For me, this fifth place was deserved. I was not vigilant enough, and when I realized that Antoine was on the attack and overtook me, it was too late. But despite everything, it was a great race, where I found I had a lot of determination, where I did a lot of great things. I had success and struggles, it's a shame to finish on this little sour note, just not staying focused enough.
But it was my first Route du Rhum and in fact my fifth transatlantic which is not nothing. I had a few minor issues. I lost my wind vane very early and I was able to climb to the top of the mast only when the conditions calmed down a bit. And I had structural problems, because in the front, it slammed hard a lot. The boats keep you very busy. I had to stop to make repairs. And in the end I was pushing 20 knots under spinnaker peaking at 23 knots. In the end I think you can say the boat held up well until the end, it was great.
It was a great race with the satisfaction of arriving here in 15 days. It was a fast race, also wet since we got halfway to the Azores against the waves, upwind; it was wet, it slammed constantly. And then it was 25 knots all the time in the trade winds, a stormy sea of 3/4/5 meters troughs with the boat hitting each wave and big water spouts. Everything was full on downwind, we were wet all the time. As soon as we stuck a nose out you got a wave smack in the face. It smells a bit like an old sock in the boat, but this transat worked well.
In terms of the race, it was great too. I saw Yoann just leave us, he is a level above. It's tough on morale when you're out there to win. No matter how hard you give everything you have, you can't keep up. But we had a great match with Corentin, Ambrogio, Luke, Antoine. It was an intense, tough regatta, single-handed ocean regatta; and that's really my favorite. You're solo, you have to manage everything. If you do well, you are the one who succeeds; if you're in trouble, you're the one who made the mistakes. I felt I was in the match, with very good phases where I was coming back, with great speed. I did several runs averaging 18 knots over a full hour. It was a great race! And now, I want a ty punch and see everyone!”