News

CHARAL third place in the IMOCA class

Jérémie Beyou third, completing the IMOCA podium

11-22-2022

At 10:15:55 UTC on Monday 21st November Jérémie Beyou finished the twelfth Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe in third place. His race time was 11 days, 21 hours and 55 seconds. The skipper of Charal sailed the 3542 theoretical miles of the course between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre at the speed of 12.43 knots on the Great Circle Route. Out on the water, he actually sailed 4330.57 miles averaging 15.19 knots. He finished in Pointe-à-Pitre 3 hrs 24 mins and 30 secs after the winner Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut)

Photo © Vincent Olivaud #RDR2022


Beyou said on the pontoon, "It’s really something. I don’t know when I last slept. I tried to sleep yesterday but just couldn’t fall asleep. The trade winds were so unstable. You can’t eat, sleep or do anything on the boat."

Of winner Ruyant he said, "Thomas was so resolute, so driven. I couldn’t find the speed and for thirty hours I wasn’t as good even though I was hard at it all the time. I didn’t know where I was with my boat before the start. I don’t think we can push much harder than we did yesterday in particular. It was a real competition. I wasn’t good for a day or two and Thomas was hard at it relentlessly. Without that we would have been neck and neck."

"Thomas was just that level above us. This boat is new and I hadn’t got used to all the gear. On the old boat, everything came naturally. We were looking for speed with the new boat and that means a more violent boat. Eleven days of that is hard. She’s a new boat so you try to be reasonable, but I could not resist at times. You think twic about pushing hard in 35 knots in a new boat. Once you have done it, it’s a giant step forward. We’ll have to see what she can do sailing around the world in all sorts of conditions. The boat was designed to be fast. You have to keep at it with the others pushing hard. If you don’t it’s over for you."

Launched on 11th July 2022, Jérémie Beyou’s new boat designed by Sam Manuard features a rounded bow and sharply anged rudders. To settle in with the new boat and enhance her performance, he counted on help from Franck Cammas. From the start in Saint-Malo and throughout the race, Charal was up with the frontrunners, trying to attack Charlie Dalin (Apivia) and Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), and on several occasions was in second place in the rankings.

Historically in the IMOCA class very few new boats designed after the Vendée Globe have completed the Route du Rhum. This morning, Beyou was still determined to grab every opportunity. “I have narrowed the gap to Charlie Dalin and extended from Kevin Escoffier. I hope that will be enough to stay ahead of him to the finish.” Beyou managed to close the gap on Charlie Dalin as they rounded the island of Guadeloupe. Charal finished third, three hours and 24 minutes after winner LinkedOut

Go back