Guadeloupe: Alexia Barrier, first female Ultim navigator for the Route du Rhum

The 13th edition of the Route du Rhum is gearing up actively, with the departure scheduled for Sunday, November 1st, for 116 boats. As early as Saturday, Saint-Malo welcomes the opening of four villages dedicated to the event.

In Saint-Malo, organizers anticipate more than 1.5 million visitors throughout the months of October and November. The regional village of Guadeloupe is bustling under a tent housing about a hundred exhibitors who come to promote their local products.

Preparations are in full swing for the inauguration on Tuesday at 12:00 PM local time. Some stands are already equipped and occupied while others await their turn. Exhibitors must budget several thousand euros, between 6 and 10 for the more modest ones.

The village offers a diverse showcase to young participants of the Guadeloupe Integrated Tourism Trades Campus, who learn to live in community while engaging in specific missions. Maritime students will be with skippers Rodolphe Sépho and Kéni Piperol.

More than 100,000 visitors per day are expected until the scheduled departure on Sunday, November 1st, a number that increases from edition to edition.