You had already come to New York in 2016 (4th), what is the feeling about this second The Transat CIC?
I’m tired. It’s hard to get far there. There is the race director who says: if you start the engine, you don’t sleep. Well yes, but there was no wind. Everything about this race was weird for me. The arrival was a bit unusual even though there were plenty of boats around. The last two days, I got back into the regatta game a little. I talked a little with Nicolas Lunven, who was also having setbacks just ahead. And then it was pushing behind so I told myself that I wasn’t going to let myself be overtaken (laughing) even if I couldn’t go.
Have you gone looking for resources far away over these 10 days 15:2’19”?
I went to the end. Afterwards, there was a big descent into the abyss where I was unable, for three days, to go faster than ten knots. It was almost tiring because I had to change my sails often, constantly adjusting them so as not to go too fast. In the end, the winds were going in all directions, it wasn’t easy. It was stressful.
Obviously, 15th is not what you were looking for but: what will you remember from this deckchair?
I learned a lot of things, there are a lot of positive points even if five days ago I would have had a hard time saying that. I really had fun playing the regatta well. This race format on unusual courses is super interesting. The game is not the same, there are lots of weather situations that we have never experienced. We explore: passages of depressions from the north, we don’t do much. I found it interesting at the strategic level.
Was it a bit of a solo return?
I hadn’t done a solo since the Route du Rhum two years ago. For six years, I had only done ten days of solo sailing, which is not a lot. So I had to learn to live again on board and regain sensations and that was great. And the boat, even though I knew it well… I found myself strange asking myself: “But what the hell are they doing in the cockpit: Mariana (Lobato who was on board during The Ocean Race) is shocking! » And in fact, there was no Mariana, Anthony (Marchand) either. We had to wake up to shock, change the sails. That was a little hard at times.
The reflexes came back quickly, were you in the match before your injury?
I did some stupid things anyway. But not too much, I tried to organize myself well. I’m quite happy with the methodology of the maneuvers, the rest… In these conditions, it’s difficult to seek pleasure. The pleasure comes through performance, the result, the fact of succeeding in front of others not to break, not to tear the sails. We’re really getting beaten up. These boats are very hard physically and mentally. We’re upwind facing the sea, we’re getting heckled. We say to ourselves that it will be better downwind. But ultimately, it’s worse because you get the same heckles but there’s also the stress of going off the road at higher speeds. And it has become more complicated because these boats become extreme from 16 knots of wind. And there. We took 40 knots three times but that’s normal, that’s the price.
Is there going to be a lot of work between now and New York – Vendée Les Sables?
A lot, no because the boat is in great condition. No problem with sails or electronics. The boat works well apart from this foil, which is a big file. Unfortunately we have already had these experiences and the team has this management thanks to The Ocean Race to be able to manage: it’s a stopover, it lasts three weeks. There is round 1 then round 2… you will have to be ready.
