A childhood on the waves
The sea is his whole life, since the young Swiss skipper grew up on board a boat. First in Geneva's Port Noir, on a motorboat, then for eleven years around the world on a 13 m sailing boat with his family.
At 13, he bought his first boat, a Mini 6.50, which he completely renovated, before participating in the 2013 Mini Transat, in which he finished 11th e . A year later, at the age of 21, he took the start of the 2014 Route du Rhum in a Class40, and in 2015, he finished in 10th place e position in the Transat Jacques Vabre.
In 2016, he took the start of his first Vendée Globe. He is just 23 years old, and he becomes the youngest sailor to have finished the race. In 2020, he returns with a brand new project for his 2nd participation.
A more ambitious second edition
"At the end of this first Vendée Globe, I had a meeting with my sponsor, La fabrique, to discuss the next step. We presented a project and it started again very quickly. We signed up for a 4-year project, which will end at the end of this edition. All this history is finally a history of men and women who trust each other. Sometimes you just have to meet the right people."
It is therefore rather serene that the Swiss sailor is getting ready to take this new Vendée Globe start.
"The Vendée Globe is like a drug. When you've had a taste of it once, you want to go back many times. I have a real attraction for the Deep South. This year, I'm going there to achieve a good performance. The boat has evolved (Editor's note: it has bought bertrand de Broc's old boat In 2016, it took me 105 days, and my goal this year is to sail around the world in 80 days! It's engaging and it's a great motivation."
Despite the particular context in which the race will take place - with a regulated village and an attendance rate that will inevitably be lower, Alan feels good.
"I'm pretty serene at the moment. We'll be in our bubble, the boat is ready, so am I."
You never know what to expect
If he has already participated, he does not feel more prepared than his other competitors.
"I know the open sea, but you never encounter the same conditions. The weather is different, the boat is different, so it won't be the same way of sailing. I'm not going to do the same Vendée Globe. On some points it can help, I was able to put my finger on points that I considered important. After that, sometimes, the luck of the beginner counts. Often, the first Vendée Globe are the best. I'm going into it a bit reluctantly. It's an engaging race, both physically and mentally. I don't take the Vendée Globe for granted
What impressed him the most on the first edition was to have succeeded in finishing the loop. Indeed, they are often half of the participants to arrive there.
"Looking back, all the hard moments have become good memories. I don't have one best moment in particular, it's the whole Vendée Globe that is engraved in me for life."
Victory in 2024?
So much so that Alan would like to go back in 4 years, but to win this time!
"This is one of the objectives of the rest of the program. But for that, we need to find financing, a boat and it's not that simple. I heard last night that the Vendée Globe was the last of the great adventures on this earth. Finishing it is already huge. That's the magic of the competition. Finishing this race is not a trivial thing, it's a round-the-world voyage!
To live a beautiful sporting and human experience
Four years after his first participation, Alan wishes to live another great adventure.
"I would like to experience the same thing as last time, but better. First of all, a great sporting experience. But also human. Because it's a war with yourself to spend so much time alone at sea. You have to feel good about yourself and know how to manage yourself. No matter how well prepared you are, anything can happen."
An old boat totally modified
For this second participation, La Fabrique has invested in a new boat. Built in 2007, it has undergone a major refit for the start.
"We worked on the structure, the interior, the sail plan, the deck plan for maneuvering, we added foils to make the boat fly... It's a daring gamble to do this on an old boat. But depending on the conditions, it works very well and we maintain speeds."
With his boat, he forms a solid pair. "We're good in big weather, we know each other by heart. I know where I can lead him and I know where I can lead him."
Despite the Covid-19 and the restrictions imposed by the government, the Swiss sailor managed to sail quite well, even if it was never enough.
"We're all affected in the same way. Our readiness is the same as a lot of the fleet. We're not starting out exactly as we wanted. We were supposed to do two transatlantic races, but they didn't happen. The program has been changed quite a bit, but we're still ready to go."
Telling your story
To share his adventure, Alan will share with us, day after day, what happens on the water, what he lives. " The communication aspect is important in our business. There are sponsors and we need media coverage to keep our projects alive. I'm not going to invent a story, but to tell what I live. The breakdowns, the loss of morale. Some sailors can't do it, because it's revealing their state of mind to their competitors and giving them weapons to take the lead, but it's reality."
His prediction for the Vendée Globe podium?
1st Alex Thomson, 2nd Thomas Ruyant and 3rd Samantha Davies.
