Etienne Giroire, president of sailing equipment manufacturer ATN, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and an OSTAR veteran was the only American competing in the 2010 Route du Rhum race. Unfortunately, Giroire was forced to retire from the race when his 40-foot trimaran ATNinc.com capsized on Nov. 13, 2010, roughly 900 miles from the Azores. He was picked up by the merchant ship CMA CGM. Giroire qualified for the prestigious race after completing 1,000 nm of single-handed sailing aboard ATNinc.
The race began on Oct. 31 in Saint Malo, France, and finished in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.
Sailing a Walter Greene-designed trimaran, Giroire was one of 85 sailors competing in the 9th Route du Rhum which featured two multi-hull classes and three single-hull classes.
One of the world’s most challenging single-handed ocean races, the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale 2010, put this group of some of today’s most experienced sailors to the test as they single-handed the 3,543-nm ocean course.
