Friday January 10, Plabennecois Thomas André, offshore navigator, came to meet second year students in the bilingual stream at the Tristan-Corbière high school in Morlaix. The event should be compared with the Vendée Globe, whose leaders, after having rounded the legendary Cape Horn, set sail for the Vendée. A former student of the Diwan school in Guissény and supported by the Diwan association, the 24-year-old skipper started sailing at the age of 10, then notably participated in the Mini-Transat, in 2023, carrying high the network colors finishing in 5th place out of 59 competitors.
“A high-level Breton athlete is not that common”
Fabris Cadou, Breton teacher for second, first and final year classes, articulated the project on the theme of sport with the idea of creating a bridge between two worlds and two generations. “Today, after watching a report by Ronan Hirrien on Thomas André broadcast by France 3, this meeting was the culmination of several weeks of work. Another interest will have been to allow them to approach a high-level Breton athlete. It’s not that common! “. A pleasure that the dozen students did not shy away from, who bombarded Thomas André with questions with great fluidity in the practice of Breton.
At the start of the Transat Paprec
“They started with questions that were almost philosophical,” the navigator notes with pleasure. Why go to sea, why alone, why the high level? The other very specific questions concerned life on board, particularly during an offshore race, between safety conditions, means of navigation and food.” And added: “The project also led me to seriously get back into Breton, which I had put aside a little.” His next project is already set: “On Sunday April 20, I will start a double-handed transatlantic race, the Transat Paprec, between Concarneau and Saint-Barth. I am going to “skipper” a Figaro Bénéteau 3, a 10 meter boat.” Furthermore, in the coming weeks, the students will be responsible for writing an article, in Breton, which should be published in a weekly newspaper.
Senegal
