Route du Rhum 2022 – Click&Boat’s Exclusive Interview with François Gabart

Click&Boat’s sponsor, François Gabart, gave us an exclusive interview before he sets off for the Route du Rhum 2022 on board his giant SVR Lazartigue trimaran. We had the chance to visit Gabart and his mighty boat in Saint-Malo, France, just as he was preparing for the race.

Gabart will be racing on board the maxi-trimaran SVR Lazartigue. It took 150,000 hours to create this incredible boat. It is designed to fly over the water to achieve the best performance. MerConcept, François Gabart’s ocean racing team, carried out the assembly. In July 2020, the company became a “Company with a Mission,” committed to both sport and technology in ocean racing. They are also committed to the idea of supporting tomorrow’s maritime mobility by investing in innovative and sustainable projects. 

Check out the interview below with François Gabart for Click&Boat.

Click&Boat’s sponsor since 2018, François Gabart will attempt to win this year’s Route du Rhum 2022 in the Ultime category, eight years after his Rhum victory in the IMOCA. The SVR Lazartigue maxi-trimaran is both unique and incredible. A go-kart steering wheel is located in each cockpit (on either side of the boom). This clever design ensures that the skipper remains sheltered from the wind and sea spray while having a clear view of the bow. The boat is also fitted with 20 solar panels, 300 sensors, and 210m2 of nets. From the outside, the trimaran SVR Lazartigue is like an albatross, standing majestically, and clearly ready to take flight.

One could compare the Route du Rhum to the Formula 1 of the seas. Here, however, the steering wheel acts on autopilot. Gabart’s trimaran stands at an impressive 32 metres long, 23 metres wide, and 37 metres tall. In full action, it can speed up to more than 45 knots and is ready for the test of the Route du Rhum 2022.

François Gabart will set off on Sunday, November 6th, alongside the 137 other competing skippers. The race will start from Saint-Malo, France and finish in Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe.