Why embark on this single-handed round-the-world voyage in a multihull?
Indeed it is not very rational all this! It comes from a dream, from a desire that is in my gut and which matured during my last Vendée Globe (Editor's note: 2012, first participation and victory). I told myself that I had to go back to those corners of the world, around the planet, but on a multihull.
It's complicated, but it's very interesting. In fact, that's the origin of the project with this big trimaran. Even if it's not rational, after discussions with other sailors and my sponsor, we tell ourselves that it's a great challenge to do this. There are a few of us who want to experience these sensations, hence the creation of the Ultim' Collective.
This will be one of your longest single-handed multihull voyages, is that something you're apprehensive about? You're out of your comfort zone..
For me, this is a first! I'm definitely going out of my comfort zone. But that's what ocean racing is all about and, whatever the medium: in a Mini, in a Figaro? Sailors like to go as far as possible, pushing to find out what you're capable of doing. I'm trying to discover that, to learn as much as possible, to discover something I don't know. It's going to be difficult, but it's exciting. Anyway, when you've never done things before, you don't know beforehand how you're going to do them.
Do foils make your boat safer or more fickle? Do you plan to use them alone, where are they reserved for the crew?
The foils are on the boat and they'll stay there. They're being used single-handed and will be used on this record. Anyway, if I want to win, I'm going to have to go fast, so I think I'm going to use them at least 95% of the time.
As soon as the boat goes fast, we put the foils on, which doesn't mean the boat is flying 3m above the water. But it serves as a daggerboard, to take the load off the boat. We can hope to have good conditions and therefore use them to the maximum.
It makes the boat more fickle since it's lighter. It's faster, which causes some difficulties, but that doesn't make it more dangerous. He doesn't put a lot of weight on the boat as soon as the foils are put in. This challenge will be easier to beat with foils. They create lift and keep the floats from sinking into the water. Even in tighter speeds, on reaching, it makes the float come out downwind.
You sail much flatter with it than without it and it's much safer. It brings constraints and certain difficulties, but I prefer to set off with foils, which I think makes the boat much safer.
Do you think it's possible to break the record?
Yes it's possible, but it's going to be very difficult, almost impossible. It's not being defeatist to say that. We can believe it, but what Thomas has done is incredible! To beat him by a second would be exceptional. If I get the chance to beat him by more than a second, that would be great. If I beat him by several days, that's wonderful.
Don't set any limits, we'll try to do the best we can. We'll see what happens in the end, even if the record remains almost impossible to beat. But I'm also going there to challenge myself..
Have you made any changes to Macif?
Over the past two years, we've added a lot of little things as we went along. But the boat as a whole remains in the same philosophy. We've got the same central hull, the same centreboard, the same floats, the same boom... We haven't made any big structural changes, just improvements to make her lighter. Work on ergonomics and reliability as well. Macif remains the same structurally and philosophically. We only get the quintessence out of it.
Solo or crew, which do you prefer?
I like them both. Even though for the past few years I've been lucky enough to do solitaireet. I'm learning a lot and I still have a lot to explore on my own, especially with Macif. There's so much to discover on this boat. I'm going to come out different from this round the world, from this experience. I still have a lot to learn.
I also like the crew very much, even if I haven't done much in the last few years, but I've had a lot of fun. Especially on The Bridge. I hope to sail again with a crew soon because I like it. We can also learn a lot of things.
First of all I want to complete this loop on my own and when I've done the turn, I'll return to the crew. When I feel like I'm making less progress, that it will become routine, that the challenge will be less exciting, with less amazement. I don't know how long, maybe 5 years, 10 years, even 50 years from now... But there are extraordinary things to do as a crew.
What state of mind are you in?
I feel like leaving, I'm really excited, I can't wait. I'm also very hopeful. I'm trying to temper it, because the stand-by can last several weeks or even months. Which I hope not! You have to manage this energy so that it lasts over time.
I'm confident, the boat is ready, we've worked well with the whole team. We're in a good frame of mind, wanting to move forward, always giving our best, revolutionising things. We're continuing to sail and progress to maintain this state of mind.
For the moment, there is no departure for at least a week. It's disappointing, but since we're not leaving, we know that we can organise sailing with Macif, continue to train and tinker.
