Will François Gabart take the start of the Route du Rhum on November 6th? Some would take a dim view of that. Indeed, the Charente skipper’s boat is still controversial, for a security reason. His brand new SVR Lazartigue trimaran was challenged by the Ultime class on the grounds that its winches were positioned too low and thus hindered the skipper’s visibility. On the other hand, such a positioning makes it possible to gain aerodynamics, weight and speed. However, the category president, Patricia Brochard, clearly stated: “Whatever happens, safety is necessarily a priority. François Gabart took part in writing the gauge, he cannot ignore the ins and outs of it”.
In February, the International Sailing Federation issued a notice of non-compliance. Gabart then considering that the judgment was rendered from erroneous plans, which President Patricia Brochard disputes. The launch of the boat of the former Vendée Globe winner having taken place in July 2021, his competitors demanded that he modify his trimaran in 2022, after having granted him an exemption to participate in the Transat Jacques- Vabre 2021. The latter would also be very upset in the event of the participation of the skipper of SVR Lazartigue. “The Route du Rhum will have a bitter taste if he wins and we have the feeling that he has not played the game. He does not need that”, considers Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) .
Thomas Coville makes another comparison, with Novak Djokovic: “I have the impression that François, who is a brilliant athlete, has put himself in a Djokovic-like posture by bracing himself in positions from which it is difficult to get out “. United, the various skippers still want François Gabart to make the requested changes. Armel le Cleac’h also confides: “If they decide in his favor, it is because he will have been smarter than us”.