The emotion of arrival
"As I approached the line, I was crying, but I couldn't see it because it was dark (laughs). The start, we shared it with 28 other sailors. But for the finish, people come just to welcome you, it's an incredible emotion. But I'm not kidding myself, they're also coming to bring the Vendée Globe to a close. I'm pleased to have had a break between crossing the finish line and entering the channel. It helps me to deal with the emotion of the reunion. The finish is going much too fast. You cross the line by yourself and a few seconds later there are already a lot of people on board!"
Adventure above all
"The Vendée Globe is a great race for the winners. The battle between Armel (Le Cléac'h) and Alex (Thomson) was fabulous. But the Vendée Globe is not just that, far from it. The public's welcome proved that today. People don't just expect competition, they above all want to be told stories. For my part, I loved Conrad Colman's race and the final under jury rigging."
50 days difference with Armel Le Cléac'h
"50 days between Armel Le Cléac'h and me: it's an abyss... When Armel arrived in Les Sables d'Olonne, I still had 9,000 miles to go. I said to myself: "This is insane!" He put 9,000 miles in my sight, the equivalent of three transatlantic races. At the time it hurt me. Still, the difference between my boat and his boat is colossal. With my IMOCA, I've never averaged more than 15 knots over 24 hours. A foiler can hold 25 knots. But Armel's performance is no less monstrous!"
Moments of loneliness..
"The Indian is the ocean that scared me the most. That has been confirmed in this Vendée Globe. It was there that I broke my ribs, had technical problems and encountered the worst difficulties. There are waves on all sides, it's hell. It's a really rough ocean."
A disconnected Vendée Globe
"I set off without books, music, films or photos... I didn't want my Vendée Globe to be polluted by newcomers from land. I'm very happy to have done it like that. When you have nothing, you're like a child. And like a child, when you're bored, you get creative. You sing, you write, you make videos, you have fun, you cry... I wasn't following the news either. It was a constant joy to disconnect. I learned some news by chance, by contacting people close to me."
A changed man
"I've realised in this Vendée Globe that we have unsuspected resources. I'm not a solo sailor, I'm not a mechanic, I've never taken a weather course. I knew my skills and my limits. And yet I finished the Vendée Globe. During this race, I had the very strong feeling that it wasn't me on board. I felt like I was watching someone else sailing..."
The future of Sébastien and TechnoFirst-faceOcean
"My project continues with my partners. We have drawn up a roadmap with the aim of being in a position to win the Vendée Globe in 2024. It will be a solid project with a solid skipper. There will be intermediate deadlines. In the short term, the boat will take part in the next Transat Jacques Vabre under the name TechnoFirst-faceOcean, but I'm not sure if I'll be on board. Personally, I'm very tempted by the round the world Ultimate race, which will take place in 2019..."
A forthcoming book: "Dernier de Vendée" (Last of the Vendée)
"During this Vendée Globe, I co-wrote a book with Patrice B-Rittener. It is 98% written, with the last chapter still to be finished. It will be printed at the end of April-early May. I love the title: there was "First of the Rope" and now there is "Last of the Vendée"!"
