THE 12TH EDITION of the transatlantic Route du Rhum included 138 single-handed sailors who departed Saint Malo in the English Channel for the dash across to Guadeloupe in the northern Caribbean. Included in the six classes were three monohull and three multihull divisions. Leading the way were eight of the giant which is a copy of the earlier Rhum winning boat and , Florence Arthoud’s former Rhum winner. Strategies vary for the 3,542-mile course between Saint Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre, in the Caribbean. Some sailors choose a more northern and windier route, while others go south to reach the trade winds earlier. Stormy weather north this year prompted most sailors to go south, passing near Madeira and the Azores.
