"Safety and camaraderie are our two watchwords," Étienne Hardy explains. Support for the crews sometimes begins more than a year before departure, with advice on preparing both their boats and themselves. On site, the final week was devoted to safety and medical checks, weather briefings and opportunities for participants to get to know one another. Evening gatherings, drinks and group breakfasts help build friendships before heading out to sea.
Another notable development is the steadily increasing proportion of multihulls since the rally was launched in 2017. This year, nine catamarans are among the 20 sailboats setting off, representing 45% of the fleet. According to Étienne Hardy, this growth mirrors the expansion of the multihull market.
As for the weather conditions, the light winds forecast for the first few days are hardly a concern for the organizers. "We'd rather see them set off in these conditions [...] than have 25, 30 or 35 knots while they're still finding their sea legs," the project manager explains. The crews will therefore have time to settle into their routines during the 900 nautical miles separating them from Mindelo, Cape Verde, before tackling the main challenge: the 2,130-nautical-mile second leg to Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe, scheduled to start on November 11.
