At 47 years old, the Finisterian is one of the most experienced sailors of this 10th edition. Aboard his latest generation IMOCA, he hopes to win. But the native of Landivisiau does not forget that in 2020, when he was already a contender for victory, a collision with an unidentified floating object (Ofni) had destroyed all his hopes. Jérémie Beyou finished thirteenth. His best result remains a third place during the 2016-2017 edition. Both relaxed and impatient to set off, “Jérém'”, as his loved ones call him, received the JDD on board to talk about his ambitions, the violence of the oceans and the separation from his family.
The JDD. Are you stressed or calm?
Jérémie Beyou. There is obviously a little stress because it is a big event. But compared to previous editions, I am rather relaxed. That being said, there is impatience to go there. We have been preparing since the previous Vendée Globe. People may not imagine, but it's like the Olympic Games, the preparation lasts four years.
“As soon as the starting line is crossed, everyone has a chance”
How do you deal with being pigeonholed into the favorites category?
This status above all salutes the work that we have done with the whole team. I prefer people to say to themselves: “Beyou is capable of winning the Vendée Globe”rather than them thinking I have no chance. Having favorite status does not guarantee victory or the podium, or even finishing. It's just a label that needs to be shed quickly. As soon as the starting line is crossed, everyone has a chance.
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Are you tired of being regularly reminded of your setbacks from four years ago? Besides, did you end up knowing what this OFNI was?
We learned that a few days earlier, a catamaran had overturned in this area. It's probably a remnant of the wreck that I must have typed. Does it annoy me that people are talking to me about it again? No, it's part of the previous race and I remember that I completed the last Vendée despite everything. It gave me a lot of experience which I will use for this one.
Between your first and your fifth Vendée Globe, what has changed the most? The foils, these side fins?
In 2008, we were trying to give boats power and inertia so that they would pass through the waves. Today, with the foils, we are going above the waves. It's a revolution. In 2016, we transformed my boat at the time. We replaced the fins with foils, which helped me take third place in a Vendée won by Armel Le Cléac'h [premier skippeur à gagner la course avec des foils, NDLR]. Since then, foils have only increased in size and the entire architecture of boats has adapted to the use of these appendages.
With the speeds reached thanks to these foils, the shocks are even stronger. Do you do a brutal sport?
Yes, it's a bit of a bully sport, it's really very violent. The boats go very fast as they pass over the waves, until one wave is bigger than another, and there can be a significant deceleration with shocks. You have to be careful about the loads you put in the rigging and the choice of sails. There are certain configurations that the boat does not accept. If we use them, we risk blowing everything up. In fact, it takes a lot of attention to detail in a very violent environment. When you look at Formula 1, it’s a bit the same. We have the impression that it is happening very quickly and that it is very brutal. An F1 car is really controlled by skill with very precise settings. These are expert exercises.
You are the father of a three-month-old little girl. When you see her again, she will have changed…
Maybe she'll be on all fours and say “mom.” I also hope she says “daddy”! It's something I'm used to. On my first Vendée, my eldest was five years old and my second was one year old. My eldest, Achille, was born while I was at sea on the Transat Jacques-Vabre, and I am never there for his birthdays because I am either in the Transat or around the world. It's not easy leaving those you love behind and it's even harder for them. But it is a life of passion. They know very well that at some point they have to let me go. During the race, we exchange regularly. Separations are complicated but reunions are so great that I wouldn't change this life for anything in the world.
What are you taking as a souvenir to accompany you during this world tour?
I have photos of the family. It's simple and it's important to me. On my phone, I also have small videos of the boat going fast seen from the outside to remind me that it can indeed be fast and that I should not hesitate to “shoot” at it, within the limits of this which is obviously acceptable.
