Gitana and the Route du Rhum
The relationship between Gitana and the Route du Rhum is a longstanding love affair dating back to the early 2000s, with the legendary transatlantic race helping to shape the construction and major optimisation programmes of the racing yachts campaigned by Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild. It is also a story of two resounding victories for the five-arrow team: Lionel Lemonchois’ triumph in 2006 aboard the ORMA trimaran Gitana 11, followed by Charles Caudrelier’s win in 2022 aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17, the first large ocean-going foiling multihull.
Sixteen years apart, these two victories have much in common, both in style and execution. Both were virtually flawless performances, with two solo sailors at their peakdominating the race from start to finish aboard two of the most advanced boats of their generation. Could this 13th edition see Gitana Team claim a third victory and establish a new benchmark time for the course? At the helm of the new Gitana 18, a revolutionary giant trimaran he is still getting to know, Charles Caudrelier certainly hopes so.
2006 – A fast track to victory for Lionel Lemonchois aboard Gitana 11
On 6 November 2006, three blue bows bearing the number 11 pierced the Caribbean night. It was 01:21 in Guadeloupe, 06:21 in Paris, when the multihull emerged into the glare of the spotlights. Aboard, 46-year-old Lionel Lemonchois had just won the eighth Route du Rhum in 7 days, 17 hours, 19 minutes and 6 seconds.
With Gitana 11, an ORMA trimaran specially optimised for the ‘Rhum’, he delivered Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild their first major offshore racing victory. The Normandy sailor had taken the lead 48 hours after the start from Saint-Malo on 29 October and never relinquished it.
The weather conditions were ideal for sailing at very high speed on a direct course towards the West Indies. Gitana 11 was in excellent shape, and Lemonchois was just the man to harness her full potential, leaving his rivals little choice but to watch his solo charge towards the finish.
On arrival, he smashed the previous race record, set by Laurent Bourgnon in 1998, by almost five days. It was a feat he described as “magical and almost unreal”. His time stood for another eight years, before being beaten by a much larger multihull – by just two hours.
2022 – A second triumph for Gitana with Charles Caudrelier aboard Gitana 17
On 9 November, following a three-day postponement due to severe weather off the Brittany coast, the 12th Route du Rhum got under way off the ramparts of Saint-Malo, the historic corsair city.
Charles Caudrelier asserted his authority as soon as he rounded Cap Fréhel. What followed was an intense passage aboard the giant trimaran, with Charles pushing himself relentlessly as he manoeuvred his way out of the English Channel and, later, through the erratic winds around the Azores.
He recorded bursts of exceptional speed, exceeding 40 knots in the trade winds, gradually pulling clear of his tenacious rival François Gabart.
The successive race rankings told the story: apart from a brief spell around the halfway mark, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild remained firmly at the top of the leaderboard. With no technical problems aboard and no hesitation on the part of her skipper, their progress towards the West Indies continued uninterrupted. Victory was the natural conclusion.
On 16 November 2022, at 05:02 local time (10:02 in mainland France), Pointe-à-Pitre welcomed its solo hero, who was quick to acknowledge the collective effort behind his achievement:“It was a tough and almost perfect race. It’s a great moment for me, but this isn’t one man’s victory. It’s a victory for the whole team.”
Remarkably, Caudrelier had never competed in the Route du Rhum before. He secured a second victory for the team and set a new benchmark time for the course of 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds.
Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild Gitana 18
“The Route du Rhum is my favourite race. For us multihull sailors, it’s our Olympic Games, held every four years! Watching Laurent Bourgnon’s exploits in this race was what really inspired me to become a professional sailor. I can still clearly remember the images of him rounding Cap Fréhel in 1994.
“Winning in 2022 was a dream come true. Four years ago, I was a newcomer on the start line, competing for the first time, but Gitana Team and I had left nothing to chance. I knew Gitana 17 inside out and I knew I had everything I needed to win.
“This year, things are a little different. I’m arriving as the defending champion, but at the helm of a brand-new boat with a revolutionary design. We’ve had very little time to prepare her, but the team has done a remarkable job to ensure we’re competitive when we line up on the start line.”
Gitana and the Route du Rhum
7th participation
2 victories
• 2002 – Gitana X – Technical failure
• 2006 – Gitana 11 – Victory and race record: 7 days, 17 hours, 19 minutes and 6 seconds
• 2010 – Gitana 11 (version two) – 4th
• 2014 – Gitana XV – 3rd
• 2018 – Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17 – Technical failure
• 2022 – Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17 – Victory and race record: 6 days, 19 hours, 47 minutes and 25 seconds
• 2026 – Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 18 – Start: 1 November at 13:02
