What was your reaction when you learned that your son.. Fabrice would be setting out on his second Vendée Globe in 2020?
1 re i was thrilled to know that Fabrice had the necessary funding to take part in the Vendée Globe again and that his sponsors have maintained their commitments in spite of the economic situation we're going through. Two years ago, I took part in the start of the Route du Rhum with the whole Newrest - Art & Fenêtres team and I was impressed by all the emulation this generates. Fabrice manages to share his enthusiasm and bring the sponsors and the public with him. I think it's great.
2 e point: When I learnt that he was setting out on a round the world voyage with a good boat, the first generation of foil, the sistership of the Banque Populaire boat with which Armel Le Cléac'h won the Vendée Globe in 2016, I was delighted.
As a father, I'm torn between joy, a little pride, and some anxiety. The joy of seeing him live an extraordinary adventure and to do it as a good sailor (values that I have passed on to him) and the worry that he will not be able to complete his circumnavigation of the world knowing the total implication he puts into it.
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
He left his job as a journalist in 2015 to devote himself to sailing. He does not have the same background as some sailors, he did a master's degree in philosophy and then studied at Sciences Po, but he plays the game thoroughly and is very involved. His state of mind for the Vendée Globe is either it's won or it's over, no other options!
I know him well, as a father, but also as a sailor, moreover he considers me more like his big brother than his father! We have sailed a lot together since he was 3 years old and until 2010. We took part in many races, notably the Spi Ouest-France and the Fastnet. I know that he is very good when there is sea and the conditions are difficult. He has a very good mind in these conditions.
On the other hand, when there's a storm, it's his weakness. He's capable of making the wrong decision or having a loss of morale. I remember during the 2016 edition of the Vendée Globe, there was a lack of wind in the Pacific, he was demoralized, he was caught in a 200-mile bubble. So he called me, I let him talk, we exchanged ideas and he found the energy he needed to finish his round the world voyage.
He's no handyman either, but will do anything to fix it and get it done. This is what happened on Wednesday, November 11, after strong gusts of up to 42 knots: his autopilot cylinder rod fell and a wire broke, preventing him from accessing the information on his computer. He managed to repair everything. He has a good ability to bounce and also knows how to communicate very well, he manages to share the adventure with many people.
How do you experience this edition compared to the previous one?
We had planned to rent a launch and accompany her along the channel with the whole family, but this had to be cancelled due to sanitary conditions. I suspected that a departure in isolation must have had an impact on him, but I really realised the importance of the support and supporters when he left Les Sables-d'Olonne on the night of Tuesday 10 November. He was reboosted by the applause and the support he received, and that was really felt in his communication.
For my part, I live the race as much as he does, except that I'm in my chair! I check the ranking 4 times a day, once a day I do a weather report with my Adrena software (the same one he uses) and I have fun doing a routing. This Thursday morning, November 12th, after the storm, he found himself in a bubble and in this case I'm really following closely what he's doing, because I know it's his weakness... Even if I can't exchange with him to give him advice - besides I'd be giving him bad advice, he's the one who's at sea - I'm watching his decisions closely.
Do you think he'll be able to complete his world tour?
I wish him to achieve his "3 missions":
- That of performance and surpassing oneself, which is still achievable, as despite his return to Les Sables d'Olonne, he was only 53 hours behind schedule!
- He is particularly committed to sharing through an educational program called "Cetacean! The ocean drinks the cup". 60,000 pupils from CM1 to 5e are currently following him in the Vendée Globe via a booklet and a digital platform, which allows him to raise awareness among children about the preservation of the oceans.
- And finally, his scientific mission, because he's gone off to do surveys for science. His ship was equipped with an oceanographic sensor measuring salinity, temperature, CO2. It was also equipped with a sensor that will filter out micro-plastics. He will therefore be changing the filters every day and making it possible to share data that does not yet exist in the Deep South. I'm really impressed by his real commitment to make things happen.
