For Yannick Bestaven, “the South Seas and the passage of Cape Horn are great challenges”.
Last winner of the Vendée Globe, Yannick Bestaven will restart this race alone “out of the ordinary” on November 10 in Les Sables d'Olonne, with the ambition of retaining his title. The 51-year-old skipper, who completed the 2020-21 edition in 80 days, 3 hours and 44 minutes, is banking on his experience and knowledge of the course to tackle this new “marathon” of the seas.
After a first victory, what pushes you to start again?
During the Vendée Globe, we cross wild places, there are not many humans who will sail there. These are places that are quite magical: the lights, the wildlife, the albatrosses that follow the boat… It motivates me to relive these exceptional moments from four years ago. Being in areas where you are far from any assistance and any population adds a little to the adrenaline.
Do we have more or less pressure with a victory in our pocket?
That doesn't change much. Perhaps I have less pressure than those who have never won it and whose dream it is. On the other hand, that doesn't take away my desire to arrive first again. I'm going there to do the best I can. It is a personal challenge to be able to circumnavigate the planet by sailboat, alone on board. Even after a victory, it remains a challenge. The story will be different: we are in the unknown when we go to sea. Having already done it is of course a plus in the preparation, in the knowledge of this competition.
I reviewed a lot what I did four years ago, the route in particular. What's good is that I have phases in mind: the exit from the Bay of Biscay, the route to the Equator, the entrance to the South Seas, Antarctica. I know roughly the duration, the weather conditions, the way to sail.
Do certain passages always represent a particular challenge?
The South Seas and the passage of Cape Horn are great challenges. But the Vendée Globe as a whole is an extraordinary race. It's the one that lasts the longest: we end up saying that a transatlantic race is a sprint, the Vendée Globe a marathon. While a transatlantic crossing is no easy feat either. The course is exceptional. I find traveling through the seasons incredible. At the end of autumn, finding yourself in the southern summer is great. For me, this race is the holy grail of solo racing. After ? I'm stopping racing alone.
You have changed sailboat since the 2020-21 edition. What difference can it make?
The size of the foils makes a lot of difference: it's a boat that will fly earlier, faster. Comfort on the other hand hasn't changed too much, because the faster you go, the more uncomfortable it is. But I tried to improve safety inside the boat: there are a whole new ergonomics of life, for maneuvering, sitting, sleeping, or just standing.
Do you plan other solo departures in the future?
No, I'm stopping racing alone. With age, I know that it will be more and more difficult to be at the top level: it's hard to be alone, it's a lot of pressure. On the other hand, it is important to me to convey, I want to accompany young people for the next Vendée Globe. We have the boat, the team, the partners, we have everything we need for a young person to share our experience. I was able to have a great career in ocean racing. To allow others to do the same thing, I find that cool.
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