Thomas André has fun running offshore. At 22, what makes him race the oceans? What is the path for a young skipper wishing to enter high-level sports sailing? The documentary “Thomas, Frankiz and the open sea” is as close as possible to the motivation of a young skipper.
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Of a jovial character, Thomas seeks to chart his future in sports sailing, not without some doubts and difficulties. His pleasure in going fast under sail makes him laugh out loud, excites and exalts him, especially when he is faster than the others. Being the fastest among the best is undoubtedly the heart of his motivation.
He was born into sport sailing at the age of eight, during a summer camp in Breton. Before that, he had already gone sailing with his grandmother. He had already boarded the Corentin, an old rig of which his father was captain. However, it was during this camp in 2008 that he discovered the pleasure of being the fastest and the possibility of regattas. Since then, his taste for sporting competition has led him to high school sports studies. In 2017, he finished 5th at the 420 World Championship in Australia. Then, he did higher studies in sport, STAPS. He fought to be selected for the Olympic Games in dinghy sailing, out of 470: having to give up this dream, for the moment at least, he is changing course in the fall of 2021 to race offshore.
The documentary “Thomas, Frankiz and the open sea” presents him on his journey to the Mini Transat. It is a solo transatlantic race, without assistance and without contact with land, aboard boats of only 6.50 meters. It is held every two years. Thomas sees it as a gateway to bigger races, bigger boats, Figaro then Imoca, to make a living from offshore racing.
From one port to another, from one race to another, in front of the camera from July 2022 to November 2023, Thomas makes us experience his joys and misfortunes: success, but also damage, weather strategy errors, financial difficulties … He falls and gets up again, regains confidence, meets people happy to help him. His mother and father provide him with continuous support.
Being a skipper means being a couple with your boat, Thomas tells us. Her good friend, “bag” (boat) is feminine in Breton, it is Frankiz (Liberty), a Pogo 3. All 6.50 meter boats are not the same, each has the qualities and faults specific to its architecture: the Maxi is faster in crosswinds, the Pogo 3 in light winds. When he films himself in competition, Thomas shows intense pleasure in playing with Frankiz. Perhaps it has to remain a game for the desire that motivates it to be so strong. A game where you have to know how to stay focused, make thoughtful choices, manage your sleep, endure and last in harsh conditions for both the sailor and his horse.
Thomas is preparing for the Mini Transat, but is keeping an eye on the Figaro class. In this racing circuit, all the boats are strictly identical. Running as an equal, and in the changing winds of the Western European coast, Thomas dreams of it. He is one of the three finalists for the Challenge Espoir Région Bretagne – CMB in the fall of 2022. Well-known skippers have gone through this selection: François Gabart, Tom Laperche, Franck Camas, Armel Le Cléac’h… It is the most quickly to become a professional skipper. Every two years, a skipper is selected to be trained and paid, so he is exempt from the difficult search for sponsors for a beginner. The youngest of the three finalists, Thomas fails and struggles to hide his disappointment.
Thomas was born into sport sailing during a camp in Breton. He was then in a bilingual class. Then he went to college in Diwan, in Guissény, with a view of the sea. From that time, he remembers teachers’ puns and songs. Always the game and a certain pride in this history which sets him apart from other skippers. It is ultimately partly thanks to Diwan that he will be able to complete the Mini Transat. His boat Frankiz will carry the colors of the association in exchange for corporate sponsorship and a crowdfunding campaign. To which will be added private sponsors. His boat, Frankiz, belongs to his father, but the expenses remain numerous: registrations for regattas, navigation equipment, travel linked to races. Growing up means taking the reins of your life, establishing a budget for a sporting project, daring to write persuasive letters to possible sponsors, knocking on their doors: a painful and distressing job for Thomas who has always preferred concentrate on your sporting goals.
During his Mini Transat, Thomas experiences strong and diverse emotions. He finished 5th in the general classification. At 23, he keeps the pleasure of the game intact, he knows how to learn from the challenges he endures to progress. He remains determined to follow his path at sea, without dreams of adventure or great horizons, but with the joy of competition, the desire to go as high as possible, step by step.
“Thomas, Frankiz and the Great Sea” (“Thomas, Frankiz and the Great Sea”), a documentary in Breton with French subtitles to discover on Sunday October 13 at 9:55 a.m. in the show Bali Breizh and to be found now on france.tv
