First of all, the boat has to be ferried from La Turballe to Les Sables-d'Olonne and after sailing up the legendary (and endless) sandy channel, I find myself on the no less legendary Vendée Globe pontoon. Instead of twenty or so IMOCA boats, there are now 72 mini boats piled up in pairs of two, three or even four.
Strict gauge control
We have three days to prepare for the start of the first race. We have to go through our safety checks, where the whole checklist of safety and gauging elements are scrutinized. The aim is to make sure that all the boats are "safe", but also to avoid inequalities between the racers. For example, not taking on board certain safety equipment allows you to save weight. So certain elements are sealed, such as the survival water canister or the liferaft, to ensure that it is not padded and remains in its place, right at the entrance to the escape hatch, located on the transom. The length of the mooring is controlled, etc.
Top start, 72 boats on the line..
It's almost time to go. We are towed out of the port (weight obliges, we leave our outboard engines ashore) and the departure is given. With 72 boats on the line, all manoeuvred solo, it's tense. But there are just 7 knots of wind, which avoids a collision in my group. I got off to a mediocre start, but I managed to get away with it and arrived at the clearing buoy not too badly.
A first paid option
While everyone's sending the starboard spinnaker on tack, I'm sending with another boat to port. The wind is picking up from the right and we find ourselves right on the layline to pass the first mark two miles further on. When the spinnaker goes down, I'm in the first 10 or 15 boats to pass the mark, and it's off for around forty miles to the Rochebonne plateau.
Shift in the rankings
Very little wind, fine tuning and mastheading at the bow and leeward. One group goes left and one right, I choose the first option... Bad luck, the wind shifts to the other side, I lose about ten places. After the Rochebonne buoy, I'm still with the leading group, but I make my second mistake. I'm betting on a shift in the wind during the night and I'm going to look too far for an option that's too extreme. The offshore group has more pressure and I lose another ten places.
Always fighting in a very light wind
I'm fighting on the way up to the Birvideaux lighthouse, which we have to turn to go back to Les Sables. I pass the mark between 35 and 40th position, the current in my face and in a very light wind. The leading group has made good progress, I won't be catching up with them, now we have to try to make up as much ground as possible.
The wind falls even more during the night, everyone is more or less adrift north of beautiful island. With the current, some choose to anchor so as not to be pushed towards the rocks or caught in the Teignousse channel. With my little gennaker I manage to save the furniture, I stay manoeuvrable and I move forward at 0.8 or 1 knot. It's not fast, but it's better than zero or going backwards.
Finish line in sight
When the day breaks, I managed to pass a large group of around fifteen boats during the night, a few knots of wind invite themselves onto the water along with a thick fog, I pass some boats still asleep, but quickly everyone is on deck and the boats glide silently in the morning light.
The wind settles in and I set off on the descent towards the sands. After a final passage of gusty wind/current, which is not easy to manage around the Ile d'Yeu, I arrive in Les Sables in 19th position.
Want to do better in the next round
I'm a bit disappointed, because I could have done better, but also happy, because even if I made some big tactical mistakes, I fought hard to get back in the race. A lot of positive things, so now we have to continue training, work hard and above all have fun on the water.
The next stage leaves Monday, August 10, 2020 at 1 p.m. It will take us across the English Channel to the south of England and finish in Roscoff. I'll tell you the rest.
