Route du Rhum

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The Route du Rhum is a transatlantic single-handed yacht race, which takes places every 4 years in November. The course is 'twixt Saint Malo, Brittany, France and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. The first competition, won by Canadian Michael Birch in his boat Olympus Photo by a margin of 98 seconds over second-placed Michel Malinovsky in Kriter V was held in 1978, and was marked in tragedy by the disappearance of Alain Colas during the crossing.

The 2006 race begins on 29 October 2006, with a maximum of 60 boats competing in 4 categories:

ORMA Class: Multihulls measuring from 59’ to 60’ in length
IMOCA Class: Monohulls measuring from 58’ to 60’ in length
Class 2 Monohulls and multihulls measuring from 45.1 to 50’
Class 3 Monohulls and multihulls measuring from 40’ to 45’
Class 40 Monohulls (40', specific class)

[edit] Final standing in the 60 foot multihull range

Year	Pos.	Sailor	Yacht	Time
1978
	1	Michael Birch	Olympus photo	23d 6h 58'35"
	2	Michel Malinovsky	Kriter V	23d 7h 01'13"
	3	Philip Weld	Rogue Wave	23d 15h 51'32"
1982
	1	Marc Pajot	Elf Aquitaine	18d 01h 38'
	2	Bruno Peyron	Jaz	18d 11h 46'
	3	Mike Birch	Vital	18d 13h 44'
1986
	1	Philippe Poupon	Fleury Michon	14d 15h 57'
	2	Bruno Peyron	Ericsson	16d 17h 03'
	3	Lionel Péan	Hitachi	17d 07h 08'
1990
	1	Florence Arthaud	Pierre 1er	14d 10h 08'
	2	Philippe Poupon	Fleury Michon	14d 18h 39'
	3	Laurent Bourgnon	RMO	14d 18h 46'
1994
	1	Laurent Bourgnon	Primagaz	14d 06h 28'
	2	Paul Vatine	Région Haute Normandie	14d 09h 38'
	3	Yves Parlier	Cacolac d'Aquitaine	15d 19h 23'
1998
	1	Laurent Bourgnon	Primagaz	12d 8h 41'
	2	Alain Gautier	Brocéliande	12d 11h 54'
	3	Franck Cammas	Groupama	12d 19h 41'
2002
	1	Michel Desjoyeaux	Géant	13d 7h 53'
	2	Marc Guillemot	Biscuits La Trinitaine	13d 19h 36'18"
	3	Lalou Roucayrol	Banque Populaire	14d 07h 1'
2006
	1	Lionel Lemonchois	Gitana 11	7d 17h 19'6"
	2	Pascal Bidégorry	Banque Populaire	8d 4h 25'7"