Québec-Saint-Malo: Spindrift's record
The Transat Québec-Saint-Malo crosses the Atlantic from west to east, the opposite way to the big French transatlantic races. It starts in Québec City, sails down the whole St Lawrence River and its gulf before reaching the ocean, and finishes in Saint-Malo, about 2,900 miles in all. Held every four years, it honours the voyage of Jacques Cartier, who sailed from Saint-Malo to Canada.
The record: Spindrift 2, 2016
On 19 July 2016, the 40-metre trimaran Spindrift 2, led by Yann Guichard and Dona Bertarelli with a crew of thirteen, crossed the line after 6 days 1 hour and 17 minutes, at an average of 22.1 knots (Radio-Canada, in French). "Getting down to six days is pretty incredible," said Guichard, who had been aiming for seven.
Twenty years for Fujicolor
The previous record dated from 1996: 7 days and 20 hours for Loïck Peyron on Fujicolor, a trimaran of about twenty metres, half the length of Spindrift. The 2016 gain was therefore 1 day and 19 hours, a rare margin on a transatlantic course (Radio-Canada).
The 2024 edition, in Class40
The 2024 edition was won by the Class40 Amarris of Achille Nebout, Gildas Mahé and Alan Roberts, in 14 days 19 hours and 6 minutes (official site, in French). The run down the St Lawrence, with its currents and shifting winds, weighs heavily on these slower boats.
Further reading
The track, from the river to the Channel, is on the Transat Québec-Saint-Malo page of the globe. Giant trimarans like Spindrift, now grouped in the Ultim class, also go after the Jules Verne Trophy record. In the other direction, Saint-Malo is the start port of the Route du Rhum: see the history of its record.