Route du Rhum: Charles Caudrelier forced to return after foil breakdown

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Route du Rhum: Charles Caudrelier forced to return after foil breakdown.

Charles Caudrelier was forced to end the Route du Rhum abruptly: After discovering a serious foil breakdown, the defending champion decided on Tuesday to abandon his participation. For you as a sailing fan, that means the end of a promising year, because shortly beforehand, according to Franceinfo, Caudrelier was still in the leading quartet.

A serious foil breakdown ends the double project

Team Gitana announced on Tuesday that Caudrelier is now returning to its base in Lorient. Previously, he had reported a serious problem with a foil on the new Maxi Edmond-de-Rothschild to L’Équipe.

This also ended his hopes of winning a second consecutive title. Ouest-France describes a “serious foil breakdown” that decided the outcome of the Route du Rhum. The newspaper explicitly states that the 52-year-old is not giving up his plans for the future.

The new Maxi only made its debut in February

The current edition was certainly promising for Caudrelier: Before the defect was discovered, he belonged to the leading quartet. According to Franceinfo, the serious breakdown was also discovered on Tuesday.

The timing was particularly bitter because the Maxi Edmond-de-Rothschild was only unveiled in February. L’Équipe describes it as an innovative boat with which Caudrelier had taken on a demanding challenge. The technical defect, however, ended not only the current regatta but also his attempt to successfully defend his title.

Status: Tuesday, 3 November; further details to follow.