Interview / Xavier Macaire: "We're among the world champions of solo racing!"

How did you organise the preparation of the boat and the training in the short time between the reception of the boat in January and the Solitaire du Figaro?

We managed the reception/preparation of the boat and the first training sessions before the first race of the season: the Sarinha Cup. We focused on discovering this new medium as soon as possible. We condensed the technical preparation by first managing the priorities to get it in the water as quickly as possible and train as much as possible to get to know the boat and discover its new settings, its new foils, its asymmetrical spis... which is a little new on this boat compared to the Figaro 2.

The goal was to have the boat as soon as possible, prepare the priority base, launch it and sail it well before the first race. This work was done twice with Achille Nebout with whom I ran the Sarinha Cup. A lot of research and reflection was done on the settings and manoeuvres during the first few sailings.

But as a result, we pushed back the little low-priority things we're working on today.

The result is positive, we made a podium on the Sardinha which confirmed that we did a good job this winter and chose the right work axes and confirmed a second time by the Solo Master Coq[Editor's note: winner of the overall classification].

So you're leaving confident about this Solitaire?

Obviously the good results of the first races give confidence, but we are still looking for more. The Solitaire is played with little, with lots of little details that can make a difference. I know I have a good speed overall, but I've seen competitors go faster than me at certain speeds and I'm very keen to find that little something extra they've found. So I am still in the search for improvement.

In Figaro 2, I was on my 8th ^{In Figaro 2, I was on my 8th} participation in the Solitaire and I was still looking for improvement and after 8 years I kept discovering things.

The search for the right setting is a bit cyclical. We have adjustment habits. Little by little we will look for something else to see if we can find something better. If we realize that we can't find a better solution, we go back to the settings we had before. It is a natural cycle of performance research.

Can you tell us what you think of the Figaro 3? Are there any things in the Figaro 2 that you're going to regret?

It is a faster boat with downwind speeds, more modern. It is interesting with this sail in addition: the gennaker. It's an interesting sail plan. So is the work of foil adjustment. It's a pretty fun and fast boat. Overall it is a successful boat. We had some youthful flaws, like the rigging and other little things. But it's been well handled so far.

The foils are a good part of the boat. There are quite a few moments when we gain in performance, even if sometimes we try to erase them as much as possible. Another adjustment to discover.
What I regret a little bit about the Figaro 2 is that it is less comfortable. It is very low on the water. As soon as there are 8 knots of wind, we sail in oilskins. As soon as we get to the front, we get wet. You have to have the boots and the wax all the time. This was not the case in Figaro 2 where up to 18 knots we were in shorts and basketball.

The Figaro 3 is more physical, harder, with a shallow cockpit, very low manoeuvring positions, with the manoeuvres resumed on the deck and not on the roof. It gives very curved working positions that quickly cause back and neck pain. Even inside for matting, moving from front to back is more complicated.

Does all this change the way you sail and live on board?

I'm trying to think about preserving myself. Even though I already had it in mind on the Figaro 2 and it was one of the priorities. But it's all the more important on this boat. We've seen injury withdrawals in the first few races of the season because the boat is difficult and can hurt.

Of course there are things that are transposed from the Figaro 2, on the way to do and navigate. These are the same keys to success: anticipation, strategy, managing your energy and whipping up the whip at the right time. Even if it's not the same way to operate the boat. We saw that the game was more open. There is more difference in speed depending on the choices of skippers, sails and strategies. There are more twists and turns than in Figaro 2 where it was the little train. There were some twists and turns, but on a smaller scale. On the Figaro 3, we see guys far behind who we thought were offside and in one day he went 5 miles ahead, and won the race because he was in the right place at the right time.

How do you organize your life on board? Do you take things that others don't have?

I don't have much that's different than usual. I sail clean and without superfluity. I avoid putting baubles to matoss if I know I won't use them. I don't take a bitch on board, I sleep on my spis. In my opinion, this is one of the keys to performance: to see clearly and not to take on unnecessary responsibilities. I'm organized, each bag has a color code, I know what's in it.

With the return of the big names of the Solitaire de la Figaro, is there any additional pressure?

It raises the level clearly. I try not to put pressure on myself because I don't think it's necessary. In 2013, I had already had a year in which many great skippers had returned - such as Michel Desjoyaux, Armel Le Cleach'... I had walked well and finished in front of many of them. I know that it is accessible even if they are extremely talented and experienced skippers, I am able to be in front of them.

But it's nice to sail with these legends that add even more to this race that is already a legend.

What can you tell us about this very northern route and the difficulties you will encounter?

We are ready to do it and the race organisation and management are able to adapt the courses if they feel that it is not an adapted course. There are already several routes planned for each stage based on the weather forecast and they will not hesitate to take a new one out the day before the start if they see that none of the routes planned are suitable for what can be done in the weather conditions.

In July we have a race that goes to the Azores, the AG2R next year, we are ready to face some long stages. That's my favorite thing: long distances.

What will be the main challenge to overcome in order to finish well ranked?

The challenge of the Solitaire du Figaro is its level. We're among the world champions in the solo race!

What will your program be after this race?

There remains the Douarnenez-Horta in July, and the Tour of Brittany[Editor's note still in Figaro3]

Then I started the Transat Jacques Vabres with Arnaud Boissière in IMOCA. We're going to do the Azimuth Challenge together to train. It's been a busy year.

Then the Figaro program is planned for 2 years with my sponsor, but I hope that this year will be the right one and that I won't need two years..