Sailors blessed with good weather as Route du Rhum gets underway

Route du Rhum, the transatlantic yachting race held every four years since 1978, got underway from the Brittany coast with crews leaving in light winds. At 12:02 GMT, boats sailed off toward a mandatory checkpoint about 16 miles (30 kilometers) near Cap Frehel, where spectators gathered. Nicolas d’Estais, preparing to race his yacht Cafe Joyeux, said the conditions were among the best possible at the start and expected wind to carry him out of the English Channel. Forecasts looked favorable for the first 48 hours as the fleet heads toward Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s south coast, then takes a single tack north of the Azores. The field includes six categories, from early monohulls to the Ultims flying multihulls that can exceed 90 km/h; Tanguy Caradec, 47, departed in the Ultims after his father’s earlier participation. Among favorites, Tom Laperche begins his first major solo race aboard SVR Lazartigue, while Armel Le Cléac’h and Thomas Coville also seek strong performances. Charles Caudrelier competes with the revolutionary maxi-trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, focused on testing appendages and reliability.