What motivated you to get into the Mini-Transat circuit?
I knew the mini in 2013 when I was preparing the Magnum 747 with the round bow with Giancarlo [Pedote, 2nd of the 2013 mini transat in prototype editor's note]. So I knew the whole mini world. The atmosphere was nice. I had done the AG2R in 2012, but it was a more professional circuit, even if I did it as a tourist and I find the atmosphere of the Mini much nicer. There are all kinds of people, both unemployed and people who have set up their company; young people of 20 years old and retired people of 62 years old. When we talk about the "Mini spirit", it really exists. It's really something special.
You used to be a veterinarian. How does it feel to leave everything behind and go sailing?
I didn't leave everything to make the Mini, I'd already left everything in 2012.
I vetoed, I finished in 2006, I worked 2 years and then I moved to Brittany to become a preparer. Virbac which is a veterinary laboratory sponsors Jean Pierre Dick who is also a veterinarian. When I was working in the Pas-de-Calais as a rural vet, I had the opportunity to go to Les Sables-d'Olonne for three days before the start of the Vendée Globe and I met a lot of people who worked in sailing and I said to myself: "that's what I want to do". I was more passionate about the sea than about cows.
I've met a former ministe, Damien Cloarec, who raced for 4 years on the circuit and who told me: "this boat is for rent, it's one of the last boats available if you want to make the Mini 2017, it's the one you need". I rented this boat last year, in April 2016, it was just out of the yard. It's a Pogo 3, so it's a state of the art boat.
I rented it for two years. The first year to qualify, I did Les Sables Les Açores. I accumulated a lot of miles, so I was no longer on the waiting list. Because there's a huge waiting list to do the Mini.
Did you find out what you came looking for at the Mini's?
Yeah, totally! Besides, the funniest thing is the races with stopovers like the Transgascogne where we stop in Spain or Les Sables-Les Açores, we stop in the Azores and there is a summer camp atmosphere. We are all at the port, we all sleep in the boats, it's really nice.
Have you had a hard time?
We all have hard times. For example, this winter I had a lot of trouble finding sponsors, I had to sell my house to do this project. So this winter I stopped training in Lorient, so the morale was low. We decided to sell the house because if I chose not to make the Mini in 2017, but in 2019, we would leave for two years of misery.
Did you feel supported in this project?
Yeah, I felt really supported. I would never have done this "by myself". Even if I feel like it's a selfish project, because it's only for my apple. We're still surrounded by people because we make people dream. Everybody's all behind us. It's clearly a motivation.
Did you customize your boat a little bit?
No more than that. I was short on budget and on time, so I kept it simple. I think I have a reliable boat, I haven't dropped out of a race in a year and a half, but I didn't get into a mess like some Pogo 3s that are more than clean.
And you, the skipper, what's your state of mind on the day of departure?
Stressed out, I think I'll be more relaxed when we get there. I've been planning this for a year and a half. Today we're here. We've been in the village for a week and it's exhausting, there's noise all the time, people, we're in great demand, the phone keeps ringing... It's really nice, but I'll be happy once we're on the water.
