Before being Jean's wife, Anne Le Cam is above all a woman, active, lively and seminal. She has the ability to talk about love for her king, the walks of her dogs and the way she manages the relationships she has with the partners of her navigator husband. At her age (decency and good manners do not allow us to talk about the age of ladies), Anne is not at her first round-the-world trip, it is almost as an old seawalker that she was kind enough to talk to us.
A few days to ditch or land
Three days after the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe, now that Jean Le Cam has set sail, Anne explains that she has taken a few days off with her family in the moors before heading back up to Brittany with her mum. She manages the daily routine, the animals and the yard, while the sailor, whose life she shares, is having fun at sea. The last few months? " A lot of stress, uncertainty as to when, if at all, the race would start. And the difficulties, too, in meeting partners and family. The health crisis has led us to function differently all together, we can only meet each other when necessary. It's complicated for me, as a Human being first and foremost. I like contact and relationships with others, I've been deprived of it for a while".
Everything for the boat
Throughout the preparatory phase for the competition, the skipper and his wife stayed in Les Sables-d'Olonne. " Jean needed to stay close to his boat, close to his crew.. ", she explains before continuing, " The last 3 weeks before the start is a preparation process that is already part of the race. Concentration, rest and habits change. And time passes, it even flies. No sooner has he told himself that the start is a week away than he's already on the bridge, about to cross the starting line."
Arrives the moment of departure
A moment of melancholy or sadness at the departure of her husband? Anne explains: "C This is my 7th round-the-world start, I'm used to seeing him go and knowing he's going to come back. I don't prepare especially, I stay in the action. I don't have time for melancholy or the blues, I've got a lot of work to do and I'm never alone. I work with Jean on a daily basis and we're in contact via Skype at least twice a day she explains.
Pontoon Radio
When she has her lover on the phone, Anne doesn't just talk boat. " I give him the latest news on the race and the world. Above all, I'm on the radio pontoon with him, we discuss gossip and gossip about the Vendée Globe. On the phone, we're like in normal life, a couple chatting. The fact that Jean is at sea doesn't make much difference in fact, as some women are married to truck drivers, who often sleep over, while I'm a sailor. "
Every morning, she consults the position information provided by the race. As she explains: "The he earthlings sleep at night, it's quite pleasant, when you get up, not to have been woken up by the race direction and to see your lead. "
Assumed and known risks
A sailor's wife lives and knows the risks. Here again, Anne has her own philosophy: " I married a runner - a real one, there's no point crying until it hurts. Jean is a builder at heart, he knows every millimetre of his boat, every sound and every defect. He knows absolutely every secret of his boat. So I have a duty of absolute and blind trust in my husband. I don't think about the risks, they're a part of his job, that's the way it is."
But the role of " Woman from "doesn't mean that Anne isn't involved in the boat, on the contrary. " I have the pompous title of Project Manager. In other words, I'm in charge of everything that's not technical, from communication to suppliers, to partners and sweeping up the workshop in the evening. And I manage the building sites too. I don't just wait for my beloved to return from sea, I'm active and I'm always moving forward "She refuses to be described as the sailor's wife, patiently waiting for her beloved to return to the doorway.
Being called Le Cam, not always an easy name
In an era of over-competition at all levels, one would think that being a shoe size like King Le Cam would facilitate relations with investors and partners. Anne Le Cam explains that, in fact, the opposite is true: " The name Le Cam is seen as untouchable. The partners don't even consider taking part in Jean's adventures, convinced that the brand is worth its weight in gold. So we keep our historical partners, with whom we make sure to maintain the best human relations, whether they are still with us or not. "
Sailing is getting scarier and scarier
Anne adds in addition " Sailing is getting scarier and scarier. Recent developments in boats mean that, one way or another, there will be breakage, at least material breakage. IMOCA wants the boats to fly, the boats fly ", she explains. " We're going too fast, too high and too far. The IMOCA class reproduces the errors of the ORMA class, whose abuses had created the ubuesque situation of the Route du Rhum 2002 [Editor's note: 15 dropouts out of 18 contestants in the race] . Human drama is just around the corner, it's sadly written. Jean often tells me about a crash he made at only 20 knots. He saw his chair torn off, the cockpit of the boat loose and could have been seriously injured. What will happen at 30 or 40 knots? The boat may be able to resist, but in what condition will the skipper be? "And to conclude:" A circumnavigation of the world cannot just be a race of speed, it is a question of strategy and know-how, the famous marine common sense that today's ships no longer allow. A round the world race is not a laboratory, there are tests made for that, certainly not the Vendée Globe. "
Philosopher, however, Anne Le Cam concludes, " iMOCA members voted for a direction with clear objectives. It is therefore to be believed that a majority wanted to move in that direction. "To be called Le Cam is, also, to have true freedom of speech. A freedom that the sailor's wife brags about." We're free, it's a luxury to be free, it's expensive. Like all luxuries! "
A companion who is also passionate about the sea?
You'd think she's a sea lover. The "Oh, no!" that she gives us as an answer is irrefutable, Anne is not a sailor. " For me, it's woods, forests, lakes and mushroom picking. When the weather is nice, a trip around the bay of Concarneau, why not, but not around the world, even less as a couple. He wouldn't put up with me and one of us would go overboard. "Shared married life and a corollary for the sailor, it seems." John would no more come to the woods than I would go to the water "she explains before bursting out laughing!
Advice to other sailing companions?
This experience of seeing her husband leave and then come back makes Madame Le Cam a reference for skippers' wives, so does she have some advice for beginners, no doubt? " We are all so different, each one of us has to manage the race of his companion according to his character, his desires and his possible apprehension. "She gives one piece of advice though" Stay in your life, don't be in the shadow of the other, these are passionate jobs and passion eats the day-to-day. Live your lives and be in your own steps. Sailors are passionate people, artists themselves and like painters, dancers or runners, they do not understand that you do not breathe painting, dancing or running. "The rhythm of life is modelled on the other one, it seems to be necessary to get used to it. " We haven't gone on vacation more than twice in the last few years, maybe a weekend. As soon as we get back, there's talk of new boats and ocean racing. "
What about communication?
The couple that Anne and Jean have been married for more than 20 years no doubt have little secrets of communication when one is in the spotlight and the other is looking at his beloved? " No, none. We have and pay for our freedom, within regulations and constraints. If we have something to say, we say it. With no language and no marketing armies. We are in the simplicity of the right verb and the precise word, without detours. "
Inevitable moments of stress
Nevertheless, there is inevitably a stressful moment for the wife throughout the race, not everything can be approached serenely, of course. In Anne's case, it is quite surprising." The only stress I have, before the departure, is to join the semi-rigid. I don't like it, I'm always afraid of falling into the water. I admire the Hugo Boss jumpers, beautiful stunt, I always try to do it while the cameras are looking away. I confirm, I'm not comfortable on the water! "
Traditions of reunion or departure
Nevertheless, traditions exist and the sailor duly celebrates the return to shore after each race. Nevertheless, explains Anne " We don't have a ritual, we just have fun, with friends. We used to have our little tradition, before, a small restaurant in Les Sables-d'Olonne, now closed. Above all, we want to please each other. Four years ago, for example, I had surprised Jean by charging him with the master's degree and taking him to meet a friend in Brest, shortly before the start of the race, after a very big party with friends. No protocol or special organization, just fun and a good time shared with those who like each other. "Freedom once again, that word seems to be guiding the couple. " On the way back, each takes the time to let the other come into the world, Jean lands gently, at his own pace. And at his age, the landing takes more and more time "explains Madame Le Cam in a burst of laughter that is her secret.
Relationships that are always human and fair
Responsible for partnerships and media relations, Anne also approaches things here with the simplicity that characterizes her and Jean " We are not accompanied by a large marketing department at Accor. It is the franchisees who make the partnership and we meet them directly. This is a wish we share with Accor. Whether it is a franchisee owner of a first class hotel or the owner of ten Mercure hotels, they have the same level of involvement in the project, they deserve the same relationship with us. We operate in the same way with Crédit Agricole, a long-standing partner. We know the employees of the regional bank in person. Jean like me want to create relationships with people, with people, not just with sponsors who will pay for the largest sailing area. "
Freedom, again and again
Always this freedom, to accept or refuse a partner, or even to add one, who asks for nothing and gives nothing in exchange We support INOVEO, the endowment fund of the Brest University Hospital. "INOVEO's objective is to support hospitals and improve patient care, quality of life and comfort on the one hand, and on the other hand to support and finance any clinical or fundamental research action that will accelerate the deployment of tomorrow's medicine. A partnership made from the heart, as these two figures are.
Bringing Happiness
The conclusion we leave to Anne." We're happy to bring people a little escape. We all need to travel these days, we are very proud to bring a little change of scenery to those who are forced to stay where they are, locked up, sometimes sick. "The credo of this strange couple of a landlady and a sailor?" The human, the human and always the human! "
