What is your first memory of mer??
It's a bit fuzzy because it goes back a long way: I was six years old, and it was my first outing in the Optimist, in the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz . But my first memory, which is a little consequent, is later, in 2007, I was twenty years old: I was going down from La Rochelle to the Basque Country on my pogo, a Mini 6.50, the one with which I ran the mini transat in 2009. It was my first night alone... It enabled me to understand what was at stake in this type of sailing! For ocean racing, my first real sensations were during the Marie-Agnés Pèron Trophy in 6.50, in 2009 at the start in Douarnenez, where I came first. And it was, I think, as much for sailing as for winning, that I remember it so well: I really have a competitive mind, I admit it!
What made you want to get into this carrière??
There are two reasons, both of which are equally important to me. First, my attraction to ocean racing. I've always had a great time competing. Between two lines, start and finish, I'm passionate about giving it my all, whether it's for 25 minutes or 28 days! Questioning yourself at every moment: the trajectory, the choice of sails... And then there was also project management, which really interested me. Before lining up at the start, you have to organise yourself well in advance: establishing a strategy, finding partners, choosing the type of race, the boat format, imagining how to build it... In short, every day or so, you do something different. It's a concept I like: non-redundancy! By launching into this activity, I've also discovered a form of freedom that I really appreciate. When I'm at sea, I feel it of course. But also when I'm ashore when I create, keep a company alive and growing, when I let my imagination, sometimes even my ambition, guide my projects.
Did you have a mentor or another skipper who got you marqué??
Of course, when I was a kid, there were sailors who made me dream and passed on their passion to me: Desjoyeaux, Peyron frères, for example. I used to tell myself: "It's magic what they do!". To tell the truth, there's one who's been really important to me: Yves le Bellec. He accompanied me for several months after I fell into the water when I was doing my solo transat in 6.50m in 2009. He taught me a lot, especially how to structure myself and understand how things worked in the world of ocean racing. We saw each other at regular intervals. I had sporting and technical objectives, as well as project management objectives. We debriefed, he pushed me to prioritise... In short, he was like an accelerator for me. And in my victory in 2013 in the Transat Jacques Vabre, that was decisive. Also because he made me understand that over and above the budget, the stakes... when you're at the heart of the ocean, you have to step back and above all be a good sailor. One day, he told me that he had sailed with scissors, just outside the Canaries, I think... And that in the middle of a race! In 2013, when we were all tacking downwind in the strong breeze, I said to myself: "Why not?". And, with Fabien Delahaye, with whom I was racing, we did some "yachting", whilst gaining miles on our rivals! I can assure you that if Yves hadn't told me his story, I would never have dared..
Which boat left you the best souvenir??
Today it's Class 40. It's the one that's given me the most pleasure so far. I liked the lines, the behaviour at sea, the noises, and I felt as comfortable at the helm as I did in front of the computer or in my bunk to rest. And with him, two whole seasons to go! Without leaving anything to the competition. When you're a competitor at heart like me, you can't help but appreciate this sequence of incredible victories! And then, as all good things come to an end, I wasn't able to achieve victory in the Route du Rhum in 2014... It's been hard. But now I'm watching this episode with detachment: I was only 28 years old at the time. It helped me put things into perspective! Besides, this incredible race is the goal of a career and mine is not yet over. The construction of the Class 40 had also catalysed all my energy, my desire... so when it came time to sell it, yes, it was a heartbreaker.
What is your greatest achievement at marin??
To have been able to practice this profession for ten years with a number of victories at the key! But also to have had the opportunity to make choices: for example, after offshore racing from 2015 to 2017, to have launched myself into the GC 32 circuit, these 12m long carbon fibre boats that fly. I know that, seen from the outside, it may not have been well understood, but I wanted to see how a boat could fly. And so, to go towards innovation rather than waiting for it to come down on us! We took risks. We went out of our comfort zone. It's not easy to launch into a discipline and a circuit, so young, where we weren't in the favourite position! However, this experience allowed me to acquire a vision and know-how in the field of hydrofoil sailing. We've got a head start... and will be ready when we can apply it.
On a daily basis, how do you use plaisance??
It may be a nasty flaw, but I admit it, I easily get into competition mode... so with a crew made up of yachtsmen, it doesn't necessarily fit. Besides, I'm also short on time, I find it hard to make long cuts in my work. Maybe something to work on at home? I've got young children and a family cruise isn't always synonymous with a real holiday for the parents! In a few years, I'll probably be doing more yachting. And I already know where I'll be going, because I've spotted some amazing spots during my races. For example, the island of Menorca, in the Balearic Islands: the weather conditions had pushed us to sail very close to the coast, very quickly too... but I told myself that I'd come back there to spend more time there! The coastlines of Brazil and Cape Verde are also coastlines which I'd like to extend in a more relaxed manner.
What is your favorite navigation zone and the one you redoutes??
Actually, I don't think I like one more than the other. All the more so as in ocean racing you don't pass through very specific places. It's mainly a question of the weather conditions as I pass through these areas. The Bay of Biscay, for example, is so different when there's not a breath of fresh air or when the sea is high. The same goes for Cornwall: with current and little wind, or the other way round, you don't have the same memories at all! You can be in ecstasy or on the contrary apprehend.
If you hadn't been a skipper, what would you have fait??
When I was 15, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Today, I would say "company director"... and that's good because I am, in a way! I think that one day I will set up a company, not necessarily linked to the sporting world, but with all the components of a real company. I like the idea of creating value, of bringing solutions to people through a product well thought out for that. I already have some ideas in my computer! But, for the moment, it's my sports project and the Yatch Club des Entrepreneurs that I'm working on...
And the day you're not skippering anymore..
In fact, when you're offshore racing, I think you're always preparing for your after career. Ten years of project management in the boating industry, I can tell you that it's very formative: we're tackling a wide variety of sectors! So, even if sailing were to come to an abrupt end for me tomorrow, I don't have the impression that I would be lost. I could move on to other projects.
Awards
- 2017
GC32 Racing Tour: 4th - 2016
GC32 Racing Tour: 5th - 2015
GC32 Racing Tour: 5th - 2014
Grand Prix Guyader (Class40) : 1st
Normandy Channel Race (Class40) : 1st
Record SNSM / La Qualif (Class40) : 1st
LA ROUTE DU RHUM - DESTINATION GUADELOUPE : GDF SUEZ DNF
LA QUALIF' 130 GDF SUEZ: 1st - 2013
Transat Jacques-Vabre 2013(Class40): 1st, double-handed with Fabien Delahaye [12]
Rolex Fastnet Race(Class40) : 1st
Les Sables - Horta (Class40) : 1st
Grand Prix Guyader (Class40) : 1st
ArMen Race (Class40): 1st
Record SNSM(Class40) : 1st - 2012
Transat Québec-Saint-Malo(Class40): 3rd, crewed by Sébastien Marsset and Rémi Beauvais
Atlantic Cup (Class40): 7th, doubles with Jeffrey MacFarlane
Solidaire du Chocolat (Class40) : 5th - 2011
Pornichet Select 6.50 : 1st
Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy: 2nd
Transgascogne: 5th
Winner of the first leg of the Transat 6.50 - 2010
Mini Barcelona: 1st
Les Sables-Les Açores-Les Sables : 5th
Chrono 6.50: 1st
Mini-Fastnet: 3rd
Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy: 6th
Pornichet Select 6.50 : 1st - 2009
Mini Class Ranking: Winner (Series 6.50)
Transat 6.50: 8th(out of 49) (Series 6.50)
Transgascogne: 3rd(Series 6.50)
Mini-Fastnet: 2nd(Series 6.50)
Marie-Agnès Péron Trophy: winner (Series 6.50)
Chrono 6.50: 2nd(Series 6.50)
