Since the start of the Vendée Globe, Sam Goodchild has been at the head of the fleet. Usually discreet, the English sailor is a hit on social networks thanks to videos sent from aboard, revealing humor « so british » irresistible.
“I’m happy to be here!” I didn't expect it, but it's great. I managed to manage the start of the race calmly, without putting pressure on myself for the result”the Vulnerable navigator explains smiling to AFP, on the eve of his 35th birthday on Monday.
As the fleet slowly approaches the unpredictable Doldrums in the middle of the week, this big fellow of 1m89 has now spent the majority of the race in the lead after 10 days of racing, with a boat launched in 2019, certainly very reliable but older than those of its main competitors.
“The mild conditions made that possible. The boat is a little less efficient than more recent sailboats in rough seas, but for the moment we have had almost only light weather”argues this father of two little girls, modest in all circumstances and therefore almost embarrassed when asked about his excellent start.
The beautiful story between the Vendée Globe and this son of a carpenter began in tears, “tears of emotion”. A small hand on the Vendée Globe project of his compatriot Mike Golding in 2008, he descended the legendary Chenal des Sables at just 19 years old.
From tears to laughter
“I cried on his boat. It was a lot of emotion. I dreamed of doing this race one day”remembers Goodchild today, who spent a large part of his childhood on the family sailboat in the West Indies, where he learned the basics of his trade.
The tears are still there sixteen years later, on November 10, 2024, when he kisses his loved ones one last time before setting off as skipper for his first solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world trip.
“He’s such a nice boy.”a friend of his parents said with a tight throat to his own wife in tears, watching Goodchild embark with his arms full of English cakes and small souvenirs.
But since he returned to the sea, the tears have dried and given way to laughter which has seduced even the swimmer Léon Marchand, one of his new followers on Instagram, where he regularly broadcasts videos of his daily life .
“Hi it’s Sam!” The queen and I just made scrambled eggs together. She's dancing…she must be having a good time.”recounts the rookie a few days after departure, filming in his cockpit a small figurine of Elizabeth II, whose head bobs to the rhythm of the waves.
In the name of the King?
Navigator Sam Goodchild's sailboat (Vulnerable) on the departure day of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, November 10, 2024 / Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
“I’ll show you a little secret”he laughs, revealing himself a little later while watching a XV de la Rose rugby match on his phone – placed next to another figurine, that of King Charles III – while spinning at 20 knots in the breeze, in a resolutely British atmosphere.
“It was the technical team who gave me these figurines for the wink. I am not a pure and hard monarchist, but even if I have been living in France for a long time (2011, Editor's note), I have an English cultural base and I am proud of it.he explains very relaxed to AFP.
His competitors are admiring his start to the race, and so are his mentors. “He makes his way, he leads his boat. And it’s an incredible force in the Vendée Globe because as it’s long, the worst thing is to start comparing yourself”appreciates Thomas Coville who took him on Sodebo as a teammate for an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy in 2020.
“And then he’s also a crazy physique. I think he still has the rowing record for us. He is a square, frank boy, in whom there is not an ounce of malice.”admiringly describes Coville, 6th in the 2000/2001 Vendée Globe.
Fed up with the exploits of Ellen MacArthur, long protégé of the British skipper Alex Thomson and very friendly with his competitor Pip Hare, Goodchild would like to see an Englishman win the Vendée Globe, even if he doesn't quite see himself there yet. do.
“I’ve never finished it yet! I know it's long. We're in the second week, there are ten more to go, so there's no reason to get excited. My main objective is to have a good time, to have fun”he says.
At this point, it's mission accomplished.
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