What is your first memory at mer??
I was cruising with my father on a Feeling 920. I was less than 10 years old and I have many memories of it: a race against an Arpège, the passage of the bridge of the Ile de Ré to the sound of the singer Jennifer, the passage of the lock of Arzal, swimming under the bridge of La Roche Bernard...
What triggered your desire to embark on this career?
I have always been driven by the attraction of the Vendée Globe. I lived in Les Sables-d'Olonne, in front of the IMOCA pontoon.
I have always loved competition and I started at the age of 12/13. For me, the passion for sailing was through confrontation with others. I like it, and the day I lose my competitive instinct, I'll move on.
I finished 3rd at the 420 World Championships in 2001. But when I went to engineering school, I put the sail aside. I continued a little bit in my spare time.
Then, I had the opportunity to enrol in the Brittany CMB course at the end of 2013, so I was studying engineering in Bordeaux. I thought to myself: "why not, I like it."
Living off his passion is an incredible opportunity, and I've had a lot of it. I'm now the head of a vendée Globe project with Arkea Paprec . In this article, we will see how to roll up long ends. In this example the technique is described for a right-handed person.
Did you have a mentor or another skipper who made an impression on you?
I've had several. First Vincent Riou. It is not for nothing that I asked him to accompany me in my project. When he won the Vendée Globe in 2004/2005 in the colours of a Vendée partner, I was 14 years old. I was still in Optimist.
When I arrived in Figaro, I had the opportunity to meet him. It is a very beautiful experience. He is as technically competent as he is in the management of his project. I admire that.
There is also François Gabart, who represents the new generation. He has this spirit of entrepreneurship and continuity.
These are two personalities that mark me. Their journey is incredible, as is the image they convey.
In a completely different vein, Roger Federer's victory in the Grand Slam ( Editor's note: he holds the men's record of 20 wins in Grand Slam tournaments ) gave me something to think about. He has made a continuous journey. It's still incredible to win a grand slam at 36! We thought he was about to retire, he went through a difficult time, hurt himself, but he didn't give up. He explained how he managed his sporting career at his age and it inspired me.
Before, I was nervous and I questioned myself. I decided to focus my energy on what was important.
Which boat left you the best souvenir??
The 420, the time of the dinghy. I'm back with my old teammates. We remember what we experienced, the internships in Quiberon or Marseille. We didn't realize how lucky we were. It was a kind of summer camp where we spent our time sailing. I have very good memories of it, the boats were nice.
What is your greatest success with marin??
My victory in the Solitaire du Figaro. I still have the wrist race bracelet. I said I'd never take it off. It means a lot to me. I made a lot of sacrifices to get there. It was an event that left a lasting impression on me, and I will keep it in mind.
On a daily basis, what is your practice of plaisance??
I don't like boating, even though I still have the opportunity to sail with my father on a cruise. Sailing for fun is hard for me, because there is no issue. I train because to be competitive you have to be prepared.
Sailing is a real passion and I realize how lucky I am to be able to live off it and make my dream come true. As I said, what I have is competition and the day I don't have it anymore, I'll stop. That's why I really wanted to finish my studies. But you can't know. Maybe at 60 I'll still have the naive one!
Otherwise, I practice several water sports. I love surfing. I also do hydrofoil dinghy sailing, which allows me to fly. It is both a physical training and a fun sport. I also like wakeboarding. In short, anything that slips on the sea.
What is your favorite navigation area and the one you fear?
My favourite sailing area is Brittany. It's a beautiful playground, both technical, with current, rocks... It's not monotonous. It's not boring. We must remain vigilant, because there are headings, points to pass. It's interesting, especially with this rotating side. The boat's speed changes according to the situation.
I have not yet experienced the dreaded one. But I think being in the middle of the Pacific must be scary. To be alone in front of yourself. It must be starting to get hard.
If you hadn't been a skipper, what would you have fait??
I would have liked to work in an aeronautics group as an engineer. To work in the field of technology.
