From a sailing instructor project to ocean racing
"I have a rather atypical course, as there have always been in the history of the Vendée Globe", begins Clément Giraud with his outspokenness and his smile in the way.
A West Indian from Martinique, he arrived in France at the age of 18 with the aim of passing his state certificate as a sports educator. Although he has no diploma in the world of sailing, he spent his early years on the water sailing, surfing and diving. He was hired in a sailmaking company in the south of France in parallel with his training.
"At that time, it wasn't the plan to race offshore." explains Clément, who nevertheless registers thanks to his profession in sailmaking.
While sailing with Lionel Van der Hoeven (Paul Vatine's crewman), who will become his mentor in spite of himself, Paul Vatine confided to him: "You can make a living out of sailing as a teacher, but there's also the racing aspect. I got you on a boat, you pack a bag and you're gone for three days."
If this first experience was not fruitful, everything followed one another very quickly for the Toulon native: Tour de France à la Voile then Mini Transat in 2005.
"I've always dreamed of doing the Mini Transat. We'd see them arrive in Guadeloupe and it made me dream. As I was sailing a boat single-handed, without GPS, in heavy conditions, I thought, "This is really what I want to do..."
He finished 11th in the 2005 Mini Transat on a boat loaned by Sébastien Roubinet. With only 10?000 euros to change his sails, he still managed to save some" a great experience." . He wants to continue along this path, but is unable to find the funds to finance his project. "I wasn't good at selling myself."
Professional skipper on the most beautiful boats in the world
Finally, he started sailing as a professional skipper with crews, invited by friends. And for 15 years, he sailed the most beautiful boats in the world, paid for what he likes to do. "I was just doing what I liked and it was cool. I've been through a lot of great things. I've sailed in the America's Cup Class with Betrand Pacé, in the GP42, in the Volvo Ocean Race with Lionel Péan, on the trimaran Sopra-Group with Laurent Bourgnon and Philippe Monnet..."
As No. 1, he learns how to handle these big boats and trains on many things. "I had a lot of feeling about a lot of things. I didn't have a problem with maneuvering or anticipation anymore. I lacked a little bit of tactics and strategy, but everything else I had mastered."
The appeal of ocean racing was regained during a PR outing on Thierry Bouchard's Multi50 Ciela Village. In 2 days, he shows the boat to 400 people and introduces 60 people to sailing on these racing cars.
"We were on a skate and I could see the smile on people's lips and it made me happy. I wanted to go back to ocean racing, but with the idea of sharing it. I know that boats are expensive and it's an elitist world, but I wanted to open the boats up to everybody."
How to take part in the Vendée Globe 2020??
Three years ago, the question of taking part in the Vendée Globe was raised. Clément would like to get involved, but by sharing his passion with the public. "We're going to do what we love, but with the exceptional values of the sea, values of commitment, transmission and sharing."
With his project manager Julie Rocher, he then set up a project and created an association. One thing leading to another, he found his first sponsor, took his first boat in hand and launched into his first season driven by the associative values he holds dear, by sharing his sailing experiences.
At the same time, he is preparing himself sportily by taking part in the Guyader Trophy, the Bermuda 1000 Race until the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019, in which he will finally not take part... The sky is falling for him on tête?! His boat catches fire and his sponsor withdraws.
"My boat was well insured and I thought we were going to fix it, my sponsor was going to follow, but it all fell through."
Incredible generosity
It was then that he received a message from Erik Nigon, also a skipper in the IMOCA class. "This is a story from dingue?! Erik lends me his bateau?! In life, when you give, you receive, and yet I'm not materialistic for a penny."
A month before the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, Clément was contacted by Erik Nigon, who was looking for a sail for his boat. Clément offered to lend him a sailing set that he did not use. The meeting stops there until a famous message sent by Erik while sailing off Ushant. The latter learned about the fire on Clément's boat. "Sign up for the Vendée Globe with my bateau?!"
Clément refuses the proposal, still hoping to see his boat repaired. However, in the end, Erik came back to him and asked him to continue and offered to lend him his boat at least for the compulsory qualification for the Vendée Globe. "We'll see about the waivers from the race organization later."
Finally, the two men make a pact. Each of them looked for funding on their own, and the first one able to raise the money would do the Vendée Globe. Thanks to his sponsors - Compagnie du Lit and Jiliti - Clément will be setting off on his first round the world voyage.
A big shipyard to optimize its boat
Sailing rather like an amateur, Erik hasn't done any major work on his boat for years. "We had to do a two-year job in a month and a half." jokes Clement.
Everything has been changed to adapt the 2006 Farr plan to this new round the world voyage: rudders, ballast tanks, keel sail, bulb reduction, electricity, hydraulic system, rigging, rigging (tips), water suction system..
"We've made a redundancy on pilots, telecommunications, engineering and hydraulics. The boat is prepared for the next owner to install foils. We would have had an extra year, that's what we would have done. It's been a big job, and it's obviously reduced my sailing time."
Ready to take plaisir?!
Today, Clément feels ready enough to take the start of his first Vendée Globe. "Considering how adventurous it's been over the years, I'm taking things slow. That'll do it. We've got great partners, Compagnie du lit, which is already used to sponsoring, and Jiliti, a recent company, but with passionate people. I'm in good conditions, great conditions even. Financially, it's going to be okay. Now I have to go and enjoy myself. I'm looking forward to being four hours after the start without a follower boat."
How does one get to the starting line of one of the toughest races on monde?? "It's a form of attraction that's created. I love the power of these big boats. I loved the Mini, but during 15 years sailing on Maxis, I discovered the power and loved the machine.
I love boats and I've always loved the boats I've sailed on. I have a love for technique and machinery. It's an inexhaustible source of knowledge and compromise, just like in life.
It's a permanent compromise. Between the way you sail, the possibility it can offer you, what you can get the most out of it and the least out of it, your requirements. It's a strong machine and its power influences who you are and how you sail.
In the end, it's kind of like a couple thing. It's a daily report, a daily adjustment. You always have to readjust, but you also have to keep your mouth shut sometimes, because the other one is stronger. I love the machine and finding solutions to go in the right direction."
Stage fright, but good trac?!
Today, this dream that he thought was unattainable when he started in the sailing world is finally coming true for him. "It's not insignificant to go around the world. I have stage fright, but since I also get stage fright when I'm going to surf 10-foot-high waves. The Vendée Globe is about getting into the lion's den and finding solutions every time."
What he fears most is having to go and pick up someone who's been shipwrecked or fallen into the water and have his boat go on without him... " I know I'm going to get scared to my stomach, especially during the beatings, and I want to as long as I can live with it. What I want to look for above all are those moments of grace and cohesion with these boats. They're locomotives thrown full throttle into the ocean. Until you've sailed at 20 knots, on automatic pilot, you can't understand. Those big moments when the boat is moving forward, it's breaking the waves, it's swallowing you up, it's making tracks, you're not tired, you've eaten well, you're having a good night... It's magique?!"
If he's waited so long to take part, it's also to acquire the essential technical skills he'll need to get his "groove on" single-handedly.
"Today, I have a set of ropes to my bow that allow me to tell myself that I am legitimate to do it: technique, stratification, hydraulics, sail handling... It's a form of fulfilment of my background. An accomplishment made of 20 years of work and sacrifice. You get sucked into something and you finally find yourself on the start line of the Vendée Globe."
Back in 4 ans??
Its objective - to go up the channel - will condition the continuity of its project. "If I've had fun and I can finish the Vendée Globe, I continue?!" But not under the same conditions. "I want to continue with serenity. We did everything quickly. This year, I'm doing the rounds, but if I'm enjoying myself, I want to continue with a 4-year plan. To do things calmly, and with an interesting sports project for the future."
His boat finished 7th in the last Vendée Globe (2016/2017) and knows the way. "It's big and nice, even if you have to force it from time to time, because it's a bit heavy. My strength will be to enjoy myself. Technically, I have no worries and I'm going to capture every essential dopamine moment. I hope that all of our preparation and our choices will be in line with the race."
Share your project
Thanks to his partner Inmarsat (NDLR Téléphonie satellite), Clément intends to share his adventure. In particular with schools, with whom he plans to organise video conferences before the start and during the race.
"I want to share as simply as possible, with heart. I would also enjoy writing a little. I took a lot of pleasure in writing my few news for the team on my last race. I needed to unload my bullshit. I'll try to do that again."
His prognosis
"I don't have one. I've got five or six people in my head that can win. There are two or three teams that can be surprising. I want them all to win, there are some I like too. But I'm not in Lorient, and I don't know everyone's state of preparation. So, only the best gagne?!"
