Unbelievable story that Marc's. If you're in a hurry don't ask him to tell his life, or rather his lives, he's had so many that it takes time, a lot of time. And yet it's this path of life that is leading him today to sail on his First Class 8 towards India..
Yes, on a Class 8! This small one-design designed by Faurroux and Finot and built by Bénéteau in the 1980's, designed to race between 3 buoys on the coast. Marc's dates back to 1983. When he bought it in April 2016 for 2,500 euros, it was in regatta configuration. Marc, then a sailing instructor, wanted to use it as a support to train young people, to offer these new sailors the help he would have liked to find in his youth.
The synthesis of a life story
But don't believe that Marc, who is now 55 years old, is a great sailor. Indeed, this Franco-Swiss professional helicopter pilot, who has made his career between the military and big business, discovered sailing in 2014, just 6 years before..
This new change of life, his departure on a sailboat, is due to a visit to India in 2010. After 30 years of martial arts, he discovers the pleasure of dancing, of traditional Indian dances. He then set out to make a career in this field, but Pole Emploi did not hear him out of this ear and mystery of the French administration, redirected him towards training as a skipper, he who had only done a bit of windsurfing when he was young (even though he has taken up windsurfing again since he moved to Fos-sur-Mer)!
Having become a trainer for MACIF Centre de Voile in the spring of 2018, COVID comes in March 2020 to ruin all his hopes. All courses are postponed for one year. Then confined to his Class 8 moored in Martigues, Marc thought about it. He woke up one morning in early June having found the solution. Since he sees himself as a dancer in Bollywood musicals why not go to India? And since he no longer has a job (or means), but only his boat, why not take to the road with it?
A Class 8 adapted for cruising
For lack of finding crews to race the Class 8, Marc had started to equip it for cruising 2 years ago with a view to setting off to discover Corsica. On this morning in June, the boat is almost ready for the start. All it needs is a refuelling and a full tank of fuel to head out to sea. It is thus one month later, on July 7, 2020 that it leaves Martigues (13) direction Mumbai in India. Ahead of him 6500 miles to go..
Anything but insanity
Don't think that Marc is a madman who is setting out on this course on a boat that is too small (8.50 m overall), which is not at all designed for single-handed sailing and even less for offshore sailing. Marc is anything but an unconscious person, on the contrary. This man has rightly based his entire career on risk prevention. For 30 years, his job has been safety training. So this time, he's applying his rules for himself, avoiding risks, testing solutions.
A trip at a lower cost
The whole approach of his journey is based on the word "minimal". He wants to show that it is possible on a small sailing boat, at a lower cost and in accordance with the regulations. For his boat, he strictly applies the regulations. The Class 8 Attitude is equipped in the offshore category with a 4-seater raft, a fixed VHF and a portable, an EPIRB beacon and all the equipment defined by Division 240.
For his own safety, the sailor sails with a harness (sometimes a lifejacket) always connected to his boat by a lanyard. On the harness are fixed a portable VHF DSC and a PLB distress beacon.
The major work of preparation of the boat consisted in equipping her with a complete electrical network (and marinized), including 2 batteries whose circuits are independent. These are recharged by 2 rigid solar panels installed at the stern and adjustable. For this single-handed voyage, Marc is accompanied by his most faithful companion: his autopilot. A Raymarine EV100 much more solid than the tiller pilots (but also more expensive). To be well seen, the yacht is equipped with an AIS that broadcasts its position in real time. Finally, the only concession to comfort, a 40-litre electric refrigerator allows it to be a little cool (especially for drinks). In total, the purchase of this equipment will have cost him 5000 euros.
A bridge plan true to the origin
On deck, Class 8 hasn't changed. It is still in racing configuration with a double hollow forestay and its 5 headsails (genoa, inter, road jib, jib 2 and storm jib) that need to be changed on the foredeck. The symmetrical spinnaker is also present and the mainsail is equipped with 3 reefs. On the fittings side, little has changed and the runners are still there to hold this spaghetti mast.
A sailboat that lacks stiffness
The Class 8 is a one-design designed to sail with a crew of 5 to 6 people, that is to say more than 500 kilos when rappelling. And to walk well, this boat requires this well-placed weight. Marc quickly understood that you have to respect the boat's water lines. The boat must not dive too much or pitch up too much. Too much dive (too much weight forward) and it becomes dangerous, too much pitch up (too much weight aft) and it drags water and slows down.
From the inside loading, it looks like Marc is living in a happy mess that has been hastily loaded. Don't believe it, because all the heavy weights (batteries, mooring, food, fridge and water (60 l), petrol (50 l), tool kit... are concentrated on each side of the daggerboard well, in the centre of the boat. Only the raft is in the cockpit (to remain accessible), but Marc moves it forwards or backwards to find the right trim with his extra weight. Even if he is not racing, Marc likes his boat to run well. He has even managed to sail more than 100 miles/day over 5 days: not bad for a small boat less than 8m in hull length!
Looking for the right weather
The reason Marc is managing to maintain a good average speed at sea is that he has to sail in clement conditions, ideally with 10 to 15 knots of wind. If he sees weather files that indicate more than 25 knots, he's not going to go for it. He also limits himself to 2 m waves so as not to encounter heavy seas. In these wind and sea conditions, the Class 8, despite being overweight, remains a good sailor (she was weighed at the start at 2045 kg, i.e. 150 kg more than the boat in regatta configuration with a crew of 6 people).
Even if Marc is aware that the Class 8 is not a boat designed for such a voyage, on the other hand he is choosing the right weather window to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible. Most often, he studies legs with short crossings, always under cover of good weather.
Already 1500 miles behind him
When we reached Marc, he had already arrived in the southern Peloponnese (Greece). The first part of the voyage went off without a hitch, faster than expected, as on arrival in Greece, the navigator was a month ahead of schedule! After studying all the possible routes from his port of departure in Martigues (along Spain, along Italy, via Corsica and Sardinia...), he ended up cutting directly into Sardinia (245 M in 3 days) then from the south of Sardinia to Tunisia. From there he made the big jump to Greece, pushed by a good wind, without stopping in Malta. 5 days through it all. A beautiful memory for the sailor who arrives on July 30, 2020 in Greece.
The adventure continues
With the lead taken, Marc wants to take some time in Greece by frothing towards Crete, then from the eastern tip he will head directly to Egypt. Well supervised by the different navies of the countries he crosses (his former military relations serve him well today), he continues on his way with the aim of arriving at the entrance to the Suez Canal at the end of September. He thus hopes to escape the very high heat of the Red Sea.
For the moment, still in Europe, Marc considers that the journey hasn't really begun. The real adventure is ahead of him... We will continue to keep you updated as this incredible adventure progresses.
