Added 26/03/19] The Class40 Tibco, driven by Loïck Fequet, has been sailing at low speed towards the Azores since the breakage of the upper linkage of the port rudder on the evening of 25 March 2019: "We don't have this big spare part on board. The rudder is still in position and we keep it with ends in its high housing. The other rudder is working well, but as we still have to do a lot of port to get to the Azores, we have to reduce the speed so as not to break and thus manage the boat to the Azores. We hope to be able to starboard, but a priori it's not for now. Since last night, we've been sailing between 8 and 10 knots."
The day before the start, Loïc Fequet welcomed us aboard the pontoons of Pointe-à-Pitre to talk to us about the race that started the next day.
Why participate in the Challenge Atlantique??
After the Route du Rhum, we arrived in Guadeloupe and several solutions were available to us. Leave immediately, but the weather was not very favourable, put the boat on a cargo ship or wait until spring (March/April) to bring it back.
It so happens that Grand Pavois Organisation organised a race between Guadeloupe and La Rochelle. It's very good because it allows us to bring the boats back into the race and to highlight our partners on this return race.
Otherwise we would have done a delivery, which media has less interest.
How did you set up your équipage??
There are three of us on board. I chose Benoit Champanhac, the person with whom I was racing in doubles last year and with whom I will be doing the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2019, if I can find the budget to do it. There is also Arnaud Le Gal, who helped me with the preparation of the boat.
After the Route du Rhum, did you participate in the caribéen? race circuit?
Not at all. I have a very small budget. The objective was to avoid any expense and focus on the return race, the 2019 Atlantic Challenge. The boat has been winterized in Guadeloupe, on a pontoon boat made available to us, since November 2018.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a crew of three personnes??
Of course, we take a lot more food, water and therefore more mattress bags on board than a double crew. But it's much less stressful not to be alone. With many people, there are many positions that are easier to manage: manoeuvres, sleep, weather, strategy..
How did you plan the météo??
We'll look from tonight. There's no point in making plans on the comet too soon. We will prepare the major options well, but I think everyone will do about the same thing.
There's a good chance that we'll head north to look for depressions that pass over the Atlantic.
How do you feel before départ??
There are still a lot of things to do, details to fix, but we don't have any big technical problems so it should be fine.
