“One of the keys is to be able to get into your race as quickly as possible,” says navigator Yann Eliès

“It’s violent to go from a land-based world to a sailor’s world,” assured, Monday, Yann Eliès, navigator, designated replacement skipper for Yoann Richomme, while the runners left Les Sables-d’Olonne the day before .

“I believe that one of the keys to this race is to be able to get into the race as quickly as possible, despite all the emotions, despite everything they experienced on Sunday, despite a bad night.“, confides Yann Eliès, navigator, designated replacement skipper for Yoann Richomme, Monday November 11 on franceinfo, while the 40 runners of the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe set off the day before, with very little wind at the start from Les Sables-d 'Olonne.

If the wind wasn't there, the crowd was. Hundreds of thousands of people were present. “A big adrenaline shot“, for skippers, before solitude at sea.”It's violent to go from an earthling world to a sailor's world, assures Yann Eliès. There is a big transition that is not easy to negotiate“.

The wind finally picked up Sunday evening. “At the last time of 11 p.m., we saw the first boats reaching averages of 16-17 knots“, explains Yann Eliès. “On the other hand, the wind is right on the axis of the objective they want to achieve, which is Cape Finistère, and therefore they are downwind. And boats can't go downwind downwind.”he explains. According to him, “to this little game, it was Charlie Dalin who did best last night“. French sailor Charlie Dalin (Macif) is leading the 10 edition of the Vendée Globe, according to the update made by the organizers at 7 a.m. Monday. He is one of the big favorites for the event.

The one who is in Yoann Richomme's team assures him that this start of the race was not easy for the sailors.

“There were still quite a few maneuvers to be done, a bit of strategy.”

Yann Eliès

on franceinfo

“I think it was a first night that was not easy to negotiate, even though the conditions were relatively calm“, he explains.

Yann Eliès, who has already participated in two Vendée Globes, claims to be “a replacement skipper who didn't really want to go“. During his first Vendée Globe, then December 18, 2008, while at the front of his monohull, the sailor fractured his femur and pelvis. He was, at that time, 800 miles south of Australia. For two days, he went through hell, before another skipper, Marc Guillemot, came to his aid. It will be evacuated by the Australian Navy. “I sailed around the world in 80 days alone, I finished fifth in the Vendée Globe. I know the price it costs because indeed, I had an accident in 2008 where I almost lost my life. I looked around the question a little“, he confides.

A goal not to be missed, according to him, for Yoann Richomme and the other skippers: “arrival in the South Atlantic at the Cape of Good Hope“.

“It's not that it's difficult, but in any case, it's a goal that all runners set for themselves and which will now arrive in three weeks.”

Yann Eliès

on franceinfo

“This is where there is a train of depressions which looks like a station platform where trains pass. And if you miss the train and you have to wait for the next one, you will be significantly delayed throughout the southern part of the globe and that will undoubtedly be where it will play out.” concludes Yann Eliès.