Host city heats up
The historic town of Saint Malo, in the heart of the Brittany region, will welcome more than 138 boats which are set to compete on the 12th edition of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.
24 October 2022
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From Tuesday 25 October, this globally renowned solo Transatlantic Race is a sporting event which would be nothing without the popular shoreside festival that the City of Saint-Malo and the race organisers OC Sport Pen Duick set up for each edition.
There is a huge, free village, open to all, designed to welcome the fleet and their skippers to the city and offer visitors a huge range of educational, entertaining and inspiring activities in a program that will delight young and old. The ‘Corsair City’ is preparing to keep up the party atmosphere for a full 13 days before the race start.
Here is the key practical information for visitors, and prospective visitors to Saint-Malo.
A free village open to all which is tailored more to improving the comfort and convenience of visitors.
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In fact, the site has been busy since the first contractors arrived at the end of September, setting up the village for this edition, under the ramparts of the City of Saint-Malo. It is all free and open to all, it will open its doors on Tuesday 25 October at 2pm local time.
This year, above all the huge space has been designed around the comfort, enjoyment and wellbeing of visitors, built across in a larger space.
There are more than 200 exhibitors spread over around 30 halls ensuring the choice for the public promises to comprehensive. Between the 1,000-square-metre pavilion of the islands of Guadeloupe, that of La Région Bretagne and the City of Saint-Malo, in partnership with Saint-Malo Agglomeration, there will be no shortage of entertainment.
The main partner of the race the banking group CIC along with all the major partners, suppliers and licensees of the race as well as the companies involved alongside the skippers, have prepared great stands and exhibitions throughout halls at the Saint-Vincent, Saint-Louis and Bourse quays.
The official inauguration, in the presence of all the partners of the race, is scheduled for Wednesday, 26 October at 6pm, followed by 13 days of entertainment, starting with the arrival parade of boats 25 October at 4:35pm, visible to all within the Vauban and Duguay Trouin basins.
Free spectator galleries are open to all set to allow as many people as possible (within the limit of available seats) to come and watch the show. This new initiative has been established along with Brittany Region and the City of Saint-Malo have along with the expertise of sports and event management by OC Sport Pen Duick.
On Friday 28 October, a conference day on the theme “Engaged Ocean” will be held at the Auditorium of the Palais du Grand Large with the Surfrider foundation from 9:30am to 6pm. Several skippers will participate as will many other speakers.
These conferences are totally free, however registration is mandatory online.
Download the detailed program.
That same day from 7:30pm, the Saint-Malo based singer Broken Back will give a free concert on the Main Stage in the heart of the village.
Among the other highlights, the official presentation of the skippers will take place on Sunday 30 October from 5pm on the Main Stage in the village.
Hosted by Gaëlle Millon and Serge Herbin, this “event within the event” will muster the entire line-up of this 12th edition, known or less known sailors, professionals or amateurs who will share details of their projects and their dreams. A moment of sharing with the Saint-Malo public before taking the start.
The organisation has also worked hard to prepare the departure of the boats which will use the famous locks during carefully timed departures scheduled between Friday 4 November afternoon and Sunday 6 in the early morning. There are a total of twelve locks which will be used by the monohulls and multihulls.
The free and open stands will be accessible again to allow all those who wish to admire the boats for the last time, before they head off to Guadeloupe.
Another new feature for this 2022 edition will be the giant Ferris wheel installed in Saint-Malo which has found its perfect position at the entrance to the village of La Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe and will be able to offer all those who wish it an extraordinary panorama over the whole village but especially over the basins filled with the race boats.
The the CIC Le Télégramme Ferris wheel will be partially fuelled by hydrogen, the latter coming from the Energy Observer exhibition village.
All this program is possible thanks to the energy of all and particularly to the faithful support of the SNBSM (Société Nautique de la Baie de Saint-Malo) who with 400 volunteers this year assist the teams of OC Sport Pen Duick and the city to make these thirteen days a memorable one.
Details of the events can be found on the race website, and the official mobile application can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok accounts will allow you to follow the life of the village as well as the race.
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