Dhe rival friends in the conquest of the Vendée Globe, the history of the race includes a few, Titouan Lamazou and Philippe Poupon, Michel Desjoyeaux and Roland Jourdain. Charlie Dalin (“Macif Santé Prévoyance) and Yoann Richomme (“Paprec-Arkéa”) offer a new episode. Before finding themselves neck and neck in the race, they talked about their almost parallel paths.
Remember Southampton
“We studied naval architecture in the same city, Southampton, and at the same time, but not the same school. Yoann went to the institute which is now called Solent University, and I went to the university,” recalls Charlie Dalin. “He went to the wrong university!” He went to study in the wrong one. He had chosen the right city, that was already it, you tell me! », jokes Yoann Richomme. The two agree on one point: “we hit it off straight away”.
“Charlie, apart from choosing the university, took a slightly different route. He quickly hung out with the Anglo-Saxons and teams from the Volvo Ocean Race (Editor's note: crewed round-the-world trip with stopover). “Yoann was sailing the Tour de France and I sailed with him in 2004 or 2005,” adds Dalin.
Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme in doubles training on March 14, 2016, aboard the Figaro “Macif”
Alexis Courcoux/Macif
Duo and Solitaire
“On the water, our paths crossed again at the Solitaire du Figaro, we were friends between,” rewinds Richomme. Charlie was piloting the team's hardtail when I first started, in 2010. We know each other well, we went on vacation together, we have a long history. »
In 2015 and 2016, the two men were skippers of the Macif team on the Figaro circuit, the offshore school. Rivals but teammates, each with their own boat, they have great memories. “With Yoann, we had the same vision of things, from managing accommodation to preparing the boats (Editor's note: they shared an apartment and a cook in Bordeaux when leaving the Solitaire). We dismasted together on the AG2R (Editor's note: double deckchair) and accomplished this somewhat commando mission of bringing my boat from Madeira to Port-la-Forêt. Dismasting was the founding stone of an incredible season in 2016. We won the 1re et 2e place all season, in turns, flew over the circuit. It was pretty awesome! »
Alexis Courcoux/Macif
Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme in 2016, the year they flew over the Figaro circuit.
Friends at a distance
“I like him a lot and I respect him,” says Dalin of Richomme, even if “the preparation for the Vendée means that we don’t cross paths a lot. Before his boat was launched, I went for coffee with the family at his house, not since. He is in Lorient, I am in Concarneau, we are both very “competent”. He spends a lot of time working on his running. »
“It’s not that we avoid meeting each other because we are opponents, we are in fact at the same training center. It's normal to see each other less. I share the same hangar with Damien Seguin and we hardly ever cross paths because we have our heads in control. Still, every time Charlie and I meet, it's a pleasure. »
In 2016. We took 1st and 2nd place all season, taking turns. It was pretty awesome! »
Small differences
Maxime Horlaville /Disobey/Macif
Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme, a few days ago in Les Sables d'Olonne during filming for M6.
Well, one of the two skippers would be more secretive than the other. This doesn't go back to the time of Le Figaro. “Everyone had their own little things, I was very picky but we shared a lot,” explains Dalin. And then we had the same preparer, so…” “With the boats side by side, the capacity to hide things was limited,” adds Richomme.
It is in the construction of their respective boats that the latter sees a difference. “Charlie, he likes to hide things!” In his team, they have a very secretive side. They didn't want to show their boat before launching, nor did they want to have photos of the interior. For us, it's quite the opposite, we showed photos, we showed the interior even before the end of the project. Even though we are friends, we have very different ways of doing things. »
“Charlie has evolved in that regard. Before, he had difficulty giving information to others. To progress, you have to share with others, you give me a little, I'll give you a little. Recently it has opened up a little. I think it will be useful to him. »
Not the same accommodation!
A little humor to finish, he is never far away with Richomme. Very happy with the comfort on board and its very open cockpit, he is ironic about Dalin's choice, a cockpit placed in front of a living cell, called a studio, at the very rear, which brings together a bunk, seat, computer and kitchen within reach tomorrow. “Charlie, he's going to burn with his studio, while I have a T3 with a sea view. We're not in the same category, nothing to see. He didn't understand! » Before adding, to avoid the joke being misunderstood: “I'm joking, he has a super efficient boat which, according to the standard Vendée scenario, perhaps has a better chance than us of winning”.
