“Without water, I’m not too afraid of desalinating!” Bernard, sea runner on open ground

In Pilat, a retiree is embarking on the 2024 Vendée Globe. In a virtual version, since his sailboat will remain anchored… in his garden.

It's a small sailboat as thin as a bird… 5.50 m long, 18 feet in sailor's measurement. And two more feet on board, those of Bernard Poitau, owner of this little boat anchored in… a garden. In the heart of Pilat, in Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette in the Loire.

A former court official, now retired, Bernard Poitau is preparing to embark on one of the most epic offshore races in the history of navigation: the Vendée Globe, nicknamed the Everest of the seas. However, there is no need to hoist the mainsail: Bernard and his sailboat will not leave the land since they will skim three oceans (Atlantic, Indian and Pacific) in virtual mode. But in real racing conditions… That is to say a man alone in his boat, at the bottom of the garden, for at least 8 to 12 weeks!

A few hours before departure, in yellow raincoat and rubber boots, Bernard is fine-tuning the last details, his morale pumping. “I'm not afraid to desalinate since there is no water. But I dread the two months of solitude and above all I wonder about my ability, at 71 years old, to tolerate the cold and humidity…“His doctor gave him the green light on the condition that he walks at least two hours a day. On the bridge or on the meadow.

Like the 40 sailors competing in the real Vendée Globe, Bernard will be alone and without assistance on his boat purchased for 1 euro on the Internet. Inside the cabin, everything is ready. From the microwave to heat freeze-dried meals to the pedal to soften your arms and legs. There is even equipment for possible damage and limited food rations.

“I planned a ready-made meal for each day and a soup in the evening. Plus a stock of 10 kilos of potatoes that won't germinate, I hope!” lists the skipper of the meadows while rummaging in his crates stamped “Les Sables d'Olonne”.

So much for the living conditions on board. As for the race, he will run it on his tablet. He will have to adjust his course every three hours, day and night, to avoid headwinds and try to keep up with the real competitors, those who will face the roaring 40ths and the screaming 50ths for good.

Between driving times and power naps, Bernard Poitau will also keep a logbook with two entries. “There will be a page dedicated to how I feel about my boat, and another page that will say where I am in the race. Since my goal is to fight against other sailors who race like me for the benefit of an association“.

duration of video: 00h02mn11s

The Vendée Globe in virtual mode on a boat on land

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©France 3 Rhône Alpes

Because this gentle and waveless madness, Bernard attempts it for a good cause. He wants to raise money for his Saint-Etienne association Anticyclone, which helps asylum seekers. “They faced immense crossings in simple rafts. My challenge is also to honor them. With the association, we have already helped more than 3,500 people“.

The meadow sailor hopes to last at least 70 days in his square. 70 days and 70 nights, alone against the brute force of the elements… of Pilat. We understand better the notion of motionless travel…