Skipper from Saint-Malo and partner of Algo Paint, Sébastien Desquesses will be at the start of the Route du Rhum on November 4, 2018, his 46th birthday.
To formalize their qualification, certain skippers, including Sébastien, must participate in a preliminary event which corresponds to a qualification for the prestigious transatlantic race.
Why a qualifying test?
If Sébastien takes part in the start of the Route du Rhum , the race organization will, under certain conditions, provide for a qualifying event to definitively validate the skippers' presence in the Route du Rhum.
This 40th anniversary edition promises to be historic, with 122 participants crossing the starting line on November 4. Among these 122 skippers, the majority will face a qualifying event.
Participation in such a prestigious race cannot be improvised, the transatlantic race must therefore be framed by these qualifications.
Mainly for safety reasons, the skipper must be able to provide guarantees of his ability to participate in the Route du Rhum. This qualification applies to skippers who have purchased or are sailing a new boat and who have not logged enough sailing hours in their logbooks.
What does this qualification correspond to?
A few weeks before the start, the skippers who have not sailed enough with the boat that will be present in Saint-Malo on November 4 must complete a course of 1,200 miles, or more than 2,000 kilometers.
The conditions for these qualifications are simple: be alone on board your boat for the duration of the qualification and have the course validated by the director of the Route du Rhum Jacques Caraës.
Two alternatives are possible: complete a qualification course predefined in advance by the French Sailing Federation or opt for a free course which must be validated by Jacques Caraës.
Several races have allowed a good number of sailors to validate their participation in the Route du Rhum:the Bermuda 1000 Race and the Normandy Cup .
This preliminary race also serves as a benchmark for the skippers involved in this event, as it is also an opportunity to fine-tune their preparation for the race and give their first impressions.
To date, 46 sailors have completed the 1,200 qualifying miles for the event, including 23 in the Class40 category (the category in which Sébastien is competing).
An ideal preparation!
A unique adventure of its kind, such an event is obviously not something to be prepared for lightly. For Sébastien, as for the other skippers, these qualifications are also an opportunity to experience preparation in real-life conditions: knowing how to regulate your sleep, getting to grips with the boat, acquiring benchmarks, and managing your diet are all factors that can help the skipper prepare as best as possible before the race.
Experience Sébastien's qualification!
Also concerned by the qualifications, Sébastien began his qualification on June 28 on a free course.
The arrangements for his participation are going perfectly: starting from Saint-Malo, he plans to sail along Brittany, notably passing by the Ile de Bréhat .
The descent will take place off the coast of Spain, more precisely off La Coruña, before returning.
Experience the rhythm of the Route du Rhum by following Sébastien's preparation: https://my.yb.tl/spiritofsaintmalo
