For his first participation in the Route du rhum, and even for his first transatlantic race on an Ultim, Charles Caudrelier created a sensation right to the end. The 48-year-old skipper indeed became, this Wednesday morning, the winner of the prestigious event. Leaving Brittany a week earlier, he reached Pointe-à-Pitre in six days, nineteen hours and forty-seven minutes, which is a new record. While on Tuesday evening, he was nearly 70 miles ahead of François Gabart, once again second, as in 2018, this gap clearly narrowed during the so tactical round of Guadeloupe.
François Gabart was only thirty miles behind on Wednesday morning when Charles Caudrelier crossed the line aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. Almost in the lead of the race throughout the week, apart from a trip to the Azores, the winner of the Figaro in 2004 amazed everyone right to the end with his mastery over this twelfth Route du Rhum. He inscribed his name alongside legends such as Florence Arthaud, Michel Desjoyeaux, Franck Cammas (whose team he was in 2010-2011 during the victory in the Volvo Ocean Race), Loïck Peyron and Francis Joyon.
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