Roland Jourdain first to finish in Route du Rhum on Outremer we explore

Following an epic race across the Atlantic, Roland Jourdain, racing an Outremer multihull, beat off his rivals to cross first the 12th edition of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe in the Rhum Multi Class. This is the third time that he has crossed the finish first in the legendary race following victories in 2006 and 2010.

Bilou, onboard ‘We Explore’, crossed the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre on Friday 25th November 2022 at 15:06 (local time) having completed the race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre in 16 days, 5 hours, and 51 minutes after sailing 4,163 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.68 knots.

Upon arrival and inspections, Roland Jourdain was given a statutory time penalty of 90 minutes for a broken lead seal on his boat and so therefore falls to second place behind Loïc Escoffier (Lodigroup) who crossed just over 43 minutes after the Outremer 5X. “Loic also got a penalty a few days ago and so it would not have felt right for me to win with a broken seal. It takes nothing away and I am delighted with my race. I was not trying to win and could not have dreamt for a better race. I am pleased for Loic; he deserves with victory.” adds a happy Jourdain.

"Today, we are very proud to celebrate with all our partners this superb finish in the Rhum Multi class, made possible by Bilou's talent. This really proves that a boat made of flax fibre works and validates the concept ", says Xavier Desmarest, co-founder of Groupe Grand Large Yachting and President of Outremer. He adds "The construction of this beautiful Outremer 5X We Explore with its fibres was a real technical feat made possible by the talents of all our teams. Seeing her on the starting line in Saint-Malo was already a victory. That the catamaran is in the lead is another! Thank you Bilou for having thrilled us throughout this Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe. Now it's time to continue the story of this boat as a platform for developing an "island of solutions and well done Bilou!”

For this 2022 edition, the Breton sailor was on board an 18-metre long 5X catamaran, made of flax fibre and built in partnership with the Outremer shipyard in La Grande-Motte (Hérault, France). This is the first time that a multihull of this size has incorporated so many biomaterials. An alternative to fibreglass, developed by Kaïros Environnement for over 10 years. By taking part in this event, Roland Jourdain wanted to "show that another way was possible in a race that has always been open to innovation", he declared before the start in Saint-Malo. The sailor from Brittany has succeeded in his aim and has now won the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe for the third time. A feat and great achievement he shares with the whole team of the French shipyard Outremer.