Has the precautionary principle hit the Route du rhum?

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EDITORIAL. The risk has been delegated to the sailors. But we don’t mess with the sea. Why the race organizers were right to postpone the start.

By Sebastien LeFol

Un few trade winds to ventilate this “Postillon” with a heavy heart, since it’s the last one (1). This weekend, in Saint-Malo, the organizers of the Route du rhum had to postpone the start of the famous transatlantic race: the state of the sea did not allow it. Only the fastest boats, the Ultims, and more, could have crossed the low pressure wall. There would have been breakage, that’s for sure.

Especially since there were few solutions to take shelter. “If we had put everyone in trouble, we would have seriously had the authorities on our backs for having mobilized the National Navy, the Super Frelon, the SNSM, civil security…”remarked the race director, Francis Le Goff.

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