In the week before the start of the Solitaire Urgo le Figaro, we met Julien Pulvé on his Figaro 3 Team Vendée Formation moored on the quays of Nantes, for an interview on his vision of the race.
Why did you come back to Le Figaro this year? What attracts you?
Quite simply because it is a new boat, a modern boat. There are all the "big ones" coming back, this year brings together an exceptional plateau.
Second point: with the Vendée Formation Team, things had gone very well in 2017. So it made sense that we could repeat it together. Everything was aligned right for me to be here this year.
You received the boats late, the Solitaire du Figaro is early in the season this year, it didn't leave you much time to prepare and train, how did you focus your preparation?
I was able to do the half-day test nav' like all the skippers. I was also able to do a "sail" test run for a sailboat that was testing its sails. Then we prioritized like most skippers. Due to lack of time, priority was given to navigation and time spent on the water. You have to sail on it to get to know it. At the same time, I've done a lot of physical preparation. Finally, a little technical optimization on the boat: breaking what had to break, making reliable what had to be broken.
The real difference is that we're all still preparing things. In 2017 when I joined the Vendée Formation Team, I was a newcomer, but the boat was ready. With the trainer we knew the settings. I needed to adapt myself, but less need to search and explore myself, which takes a lot of time. With this new boat, we all had to explore, test and find out what works.
Today do you consider yourself ready and know the boat?
It is obvious that there are still things to learn. However, I think we've already cleared a lot of groundwork, but we're certainly going to learn a lot more about this Solitaire.
Is the boat very different from the Figaro 2 in the way it sails?
There are more sails on board so there are more route and strategy options available. Thanks to the foil, he can also wear more canvas. We have gone from 80m² to 120m² of spinnaker. It clearly put a physical gap in the boat.
Technically, the foil feasting and the behaviour that goes with it are new. It's a mixture of adapting what you already know and learning something new. I learn to adapt or I adapt the learning, I don't know. On a sensory level, the foil brings something that we didn't know before, but the boat remains a "normal" boat, usual, but has become modern through its foils and the sporting dimension.
So you think it's an evolution that's going in the right direction? No regrets for the Figaro 2?
This is a real evolution. These foils installed at deck level - for habitability - meet the specifications. Of course we don't have a boat flying, but that wasn't the point. Compared to the program we had set for ourselves, the sports gap is already significant. It is clearly a success in terms of modernity and performance. The travel times will really be different. The only time we could compare it to the Figaro 2 is upwind because the foils are not expressing themselves, the boat not being fast enough. But all the rest of the time, it is pleasant to operate. There is no ballast to fill. Instead of filling one side of the boat, we lighten the other side. It's only positive.
The Figaro 2 has had its time. It was a very good boat, but it's good to evolve towards something different.
What is your goal for this race?
I would like to finish in the top 10. It is a sporting objective that I would really like to achieve. We have worked hard to achieve this.
The return of the big names of the Figaro brings additional pressure?
The fact that they are there makes it more difficult because they are very good. But it's also a chance because it allows you to compare yourself to legends. I feel lucky to be here. I found myself side by side with Yann Elies during the Solo Master Rooster, I was able to be next to Armel le Cleac'h, see how it works... You feel that there is still a difference in experience. Armel Le Cléac'h impresses me a lot, he is super organized, you have the impression that he is never surprised.
How is your life on board organized?
I am minimalist enough to avoid overloading the boat with weight and time and budget constraints. I stuck to my Mini principles. Quite simple and lightweight, but functional matting cloths. The bins on which we sit are part of the standard equipment of the boat, on the other hand, the size and position of the mattress covers are free. Everyone optimizes as they wish. I know that some of them have made shelves in the back under the cockpit rather than canvases. I put a mattress cloth on the bunk against the shell plating to keep the bunk available for sleeping "cleanly". Some mattresses go directly to the bunk, but sleep broken into eight.
This year I bought myself a touch pad. It's a revolution for me. I used to run from outside to inside between two rocks so it's going to be more comfortable.
When it comes to food, you have to take the time to eat a little. But we went back to the Mini's kitchen: a jetboil! It is the runners' decision to remove the comfortable chart table and stove and come back to something a little more spartan and empty.
On the other hand, inside, there is less space than in Figaro 2. The boat is lower, to look at you you are broken in two, it's much more physical. Especially since mattress bags are quickly heavy with water bottles... and you shouldn't get hurt. Similarly, to go from back to front, the varanguage is much higher and it's easy to go in front.
The gauge is much stricter than for the Figaros 2, what choice and freedom do you have left?
It was part of the policy to tighten the screws and avoid the drifts we saw in Figaro 2. We have the choice of the sail maker who must of course respect the framed sail surfaces, but we have the possibility to choose a more or less hollow sail... We have the right to play with the adjustment of the mast and the quest. The rest is hyper frozen. This is the goal to avoid the gaps we knew in Figaro 2.
In 15 years of Figaro 2, the boats have been hyper-optimized, there were Figaro 2.5s and boats that stayed at Figaro 2. It was obvious at times. Now, Armel le Cleac'h, who is falling into a wind, is as penalised as I am.
What will your programme be after the Solitaire du Figaro?
Not really defined yet. We are in discussion with the Vendée Team on a lot of things. We are also discussing Transat Jacques Vabres and the Route du Rhum. But first we focus on the Figaro 3 and the Tour of Brittany in double at the beginning of September. It's already a busy season.
