The 11th edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe is officially launched in Saint-Malo! Among the six competitors entered in the Ultimate category, a surprise guest: the trimaran Remade – Use It Again!, skippered by Romain Pilliard. 10 days before departure, the navigator from Paris confides in this atypical project: crossing the Atlantic on a giant trimaran reconditioned to promote the circular economy.
Citizen of the world
Entrepreneur, traveler, Romain Pilliard, organizer of the TOUR DE BELLE-ILE, has lived nomadically for several years between Paris, Brittany, China and New Zealand. Throughout his travels, the sailor, who trained on La Solitaire du Figaro and on the ORMA circuit, became aware of the urgency of acting for our planet at all levels, starting with the nautical industry. , his favorite field. "Traveling the world, we can only be shocked by what we see, the pollution, the plastic, the unbreathable air, the undrinkable water... We realize that we have gone too far! I acquired Ellen MacArthur's former trimaran, which had been on a quay in Brest for several years and we decided to repackage following the principles of the circular economy. We have reused as much existing equipment as possible and we have called on the major ocean racing teams to recover elements (sails, pulleys, ropes, etc.) which are obsolete for them in their pure performance approach but which, after transformations, adapt perfectly to my boat and allow me to line up for the start of La Route du Rhum in good conditions. »
First Route du Rhum, first transatlantic…
If the skipper of the trimaran Remade-Use It Again! already has multihull experience, this will be her very first Route du Rhum and what's more, at the helm of a giant 23-metre trimaran. Among the big stars of the Ultimate category, he is Tom Thumb, a role he fully assumes: “I admit that I like the family photo but above all, I like multihulls, I like the adrenaline it provides. Besides, as an amateur, I might have more adrenaline than a professional like Armel Le Cléac'h who knows all the workings of ocean racing. It is a huge sporting and personal challenge. I want to get out of my comfort zone and rediscover the experience of La Solitaire du Figaro. I'm not afraid of single-handed sailing and beyond the crossing itself, which will be the culmination of several months of work, it's the whole environment linked to the race that excites me. Right now I feel like I'm living a thousand lives “reveals Romain Pilliard. Since early September, the skipper of Remade-Use It Again! team trains tirelessly to calmly tackle the 3,510 miles of this transatlantic course which will take him to Pointe-à-Pitre. " At first, it's surprising to manage the 23 meters of this trimaran but as I hoped, it's a healthy, reliable and safe boat. Compared to the ORMA trimarans of the time, we are less on permanent reprieve! Now, it's still a multihull, there's no keel so you have to find the right tempo to avoid disasters... I'm under no sporting pressure, the objective is to reach Pointe-à-Pitre in a good racing time for this boat and to prove that we can accomplish great things differently!»
A solo race, a coherent collective adventure!
About the project Use It Again!, several actors of the circular economy met. Remade, title sponsor of the trimaran, based in Normandy, has specialized in rebuilding iPhones since 2013, it is the European leader in its market. Principal Patron of the Endowment Fund Use It Again!, l’AtelierSterenn.com, a Breton start-up specializing in exterior home furnishings, is also campaigning for another way of consuming that is more virtuous for the environment. «We cannot talk about a circular economy without thinking collectively. Together on this Route du Rhum, we want share with as many people as possible a concrete vision of sustainable development“, explains Romain Pilliard. On November 2, the trimaran Remade-Use It Again! team will be “renamed” in Saint-Malo by François-Michel Lambert, President of the National Institute of Circular Economy. And Brune Poirson, Secretary of State to the Minister of State, Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, support for the project Use It Again!, will come to greet the skipper before the big start, on Sunday 4 November.
You too, embark on the adventure of the circular economy on La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe and contribute to the project Use It Again! via the platform KissKissBankBank !
See you today at the village of La Route du Rhum (Stand Remade-Use It Again!, Hall 15) and on the Bassin Vauban to discover the circular economy trimaran.