Competitor at heart
Born in Paris, Alexia moved to Nice at the age of 3 with her parents. Owners of a 6m sailboat, they introduce her to sailing during walks in the bay, and Alexia takes her first sail at a very young age.
A great competitor, sport has always been part of her daily life. First in the regional baseball team, then later, in college, in the French freediving team.
"At the age of 15, I wanted to get into competitive sailing. I joined the Laser team, but I didn't have the size to perform. I couldn't go over 4 e place. At 20, I joined the French women's match racing team. We were among the best in the world, with a 4 e room."
If Alexia is motivated by competition, the other girls on her team are less so. "I was the youngest, they had other ambitions, work, family."
So she decides to continue the competition, but solo. In 2005, she was sponsored by Roxy for her first Mini Transat. She then went on to pursue a career as a top-level sailor: solo, double-handed, crewed... She sails in Figaro, in Class40, but also in multihulls and with great skippers such as Florence Arthaud or Dennis Conner.
A Vendée Globe project without a sponsor
In 2017, after the Solitaire du Figaro, she was contacted by a sponsor for a Vendée Globe project. Accompanied by Vincent Riou to get ready, the sponsor finally withdrew.
"For me, it was finally obvious to me to do the Vendée Globe. My first memory of this race goes back to when I was 12 years old. I was in front of the television for the start and it gave me the shivers. I told myself that one day, I too would take part."
Alexia then decided to buy an old IMOCA without a sponsor. After approaching three banks to obtain financing, she decided to contact acquaintances who could help her in her efforts.
"I've sailed a lot on superyachts and I know some owners. "So I contacted one who told me banco. He allowed me to buy the Penguin in 2018, Romain Attanasio's old boat. I was then able to participate in all the races in the class, except the Fastnet and the Arctic Vendee."
Participate in a mythical race
Above and beyond the fulfilment of a childhood dream, Alexia is continuing her high level sailing programme with this 2020 Vendée Globe.
"It's the continuity of what I like to do. In 2010, I set off to sail for 5 months on a single-handed IMOCA, out of the race. Since that attempt, I've known that I'm capable of handling such a craft single-handed. It's a mythical race, both in terms of competition and adventure. It's a unique adventure. One of the last human adventures to live, sailing, in an environment where the elements are dear to me. It's the place where I feel best, at sea, on a boat."
Aware that she has the oldest boat in the fleet, Alexia has set herself ambitions to match her project. "My challenge is to finish the race and have fun. About a third of the fleet can't do it. From a sporting point of view, the record for my boat in the Vendée Globe is 98 days, and I'd like to go under that mark. I know I'm not going to win, but I really want to finish."
A strong commitment to the environment
In addition to sporting ambition, Alexia has strong values of commitment to the planet and beautiful associative values. With 4MyPlanet, she has been working for 10 years with scientists to collect data on the oceans. She is also involved with 185 schools and associations for underprivileged children in France and abroad.
"I wish to share and contribute to this global challenge to preserve the oceans. And I also do it with the children, who are very aware of it. I want to show them that we all have a hero in us, and, whatever our social status, we can do it as soon as we are motivated."
With an operating budget of less than 200,000 euros/year for the past two years, Alexia claims to be able to take part in the Vendée Globe even with small budgets.
"Being 33 boats at the start this year, it's incredible. There's a real emulation, different types of boats with different projects - winning, performing, living an adventure while fighting to leave a few boats behind. There are different levels of projects, it's not an elitist race for big budgets.
I have a club that has allowed about 40 companies to get involved in the project. I wanted to show that you don't have to be big and strong to take part in the Vendée Globe, with an entry fee of 3,000 euros to be a sponsor."
However, Alexia is able to breathe a little more air today thanks to the investment made by TSE, a new partner who has enabled her to make her boat more reliable.
A boat that knows the way
"It's a 1998 boat, created for Catherine Chabaud and which has already sailed around the world 6 times. It's a boat of legend. We haven't done any major work or modifications. It's an old boat and you don't transform a 2CV into a Ferrari overnight. We have made the existing equipment and systems reliable: autopilot, tips, sails that had already been used on the two previous round the world races... We have made everything mechanically safe, which would not have been possible without my title partner. But with old equipment, I had much less chance of finishing the race."
While the sailor is familiar with the Atlantic Ocean, having crossed it 17 times, she is eager to discover the Pacific. Yet she is well aware of the difficulties she will have to overcome.
"I think I have the hardest boat physically in the fleet. An old boat, to get her up to a knot of speed, you have to be on her all the time making the slightest adjustments. While hydrofoil boats kick and make noise, they're also much easier to accelerate than older boats."
However, as an "old-timer", his boat also has certain advantages. He is strong and knows the road well. "It has had its setbacks over the years, but we've had more time to optimise it than recent boats. We don't have foils, so logically there is less risk of breakage, even if it is possible to break a daggerboard or rudder. She is both strong and reliable, but fairly simple. It warns you when it's going to pile up, you can feel it coming."
Alexia will be able to count on her sailing experience, determination and optimism to complete her round the world voyage. "I'm lucky I don't worry too easily while keeping my feet on the ground. Even though sometimes I get scared, especially when the elements are out of control. I've never lost control of the boat and I've always finished my races. The fact that I also have challenges with 4 My Planet, children and scientists expecting results from me, is a strong source of motivation."
Getting back in the bath
With a racing season disrupted by Covid-19, Alexia is happy to have had her boat since 2018 and to have been able to take part in several races over the past few years.
"This year, we haven't been sailing much. My longest navy' must have been my convoy from Marseilles to Brittany. It hasn't been an easy year, but I've taken advantage of the confinement for the physical preparation, the weather and the mental preparation. It's certainly quite confusing compared to a classic year where you do at least one transatlantic race to train.
At the start of the race, I'm gonna get back into it. I'm going to need a little warm-up time, before I get back into the sleep rhythm and manage my fatigue. I wouldn't get off to a flying start, because it's a long road and I've got to get my machine back on track."
Share your adventure with your fans and children
Very committed to her associative projects, Alexia will share her adventure with her fans and her public, but especially the children who follow her.
"I'm keen to share my race as much as possible. Every day, I would send a video and a letter to the kids. They look forward to it every morning. Sometimes I'm tired, it's harder than at other times, but my team is boosting me up and I really want to do it."
Prior to the race, she will also be carrying out video conferences, Facebook and Instagram Live Lives to bring the preparation of the boat to life, particularly for those who will not be able to be present at the start village.
His prognosis?
"I hope Samantha wins. She's the most experienced sailor in the fleet. She may not have the fastest boat, but she's the one who handles it best. Then Alex Thomson and then I'm torn between Jeremie Beyou and Thomas Ruyant."
