What's your track record in the America's Cup?
During my military service in 1981, I was seconded to sail on Baron Bich's boat in Newport. Then I joined the French Kiss team for the next edition, in Fremantle in 1987. Philippe Briand designed a very nice boat, efficient in strong winds, which took us to the semi-finals.
I then joined the syndicates led by Marc Pajot in 1992, on Ville de Paris, where we reached the semi-finals again. Then in 1995 on France 2, but where the results were below the previous editions.
Then I was alongside Bertrand Pacé on the syndicate 6e Sens in 2000. In 2003, I was poached by the Italians on Luna Rossa, skippered by Fransesco de Angelis.
Then my last campaign was with Stéphane Kandler in 2007, on Areva Challenge. Then the crisis that hit the Cup in 2008 blocked many projects. I then had the opportunity to work for a rope manufacturer, Lyros, allowing me to continue sailing on less time-consuming boats, such as the Swan Cup or the TP 52 circuit.
What position did you hold?
I mainly held the position of piano and then boat captain. In this capacity, I was able to observe the importance of wearing two hats, as a technician and a sailor. One of the keys to the success of a crew is the good link between the technical team and the crew members on the water.
Which campaign has left you with the best memories?
The French Kiss union in 1987. We had a great and beautiful fight, and we found ourselves in the semi-finals, against budgets much larger than ours. A sort of hold-up! But we managed to get one of the best results of a French team in the Cup.
We were in Fremantle, at the gateway to the Indian Ocean. The conditions were tough. We had a great time on the water, but we suffered on land. Our living quarters lacked comfort and ergonomics. We were 100% in the race and family life took a back seat.
What is your opinion on the 2021 America's Cup?
Like many, I was skeptical when Neo Zed presented the project. But they succeeded in their bet. They managed to fly these monohulls and to develop them. Visually, it is very attractive, but for the regatta, it is another story. In the vast majority of cases, victory is decided at the start. The regattas are very short to better attract the public, but this leaves little chance of making up for a bad start.
We see very little of the crew manoeuvring, and the lack of sail changes breaks up the show a little. The crew members themselves cannot see each other. Except for the experienced, it is impossible to recognise a boat's point of sail, as the difference in trim between downwind and upwind is so small. The light airs are also much more penalising than in previous editions. The boats are literally stuck in the calm.
For several editions, only the aft cell needs to be made up of sailors. The others are just there to provide energy for sail trimming (the foils are manoeuvred by batteries that can be recharged on land). The technological challenge is successful, but the regatta has lost its shine. It is obvious that the number of participants has also played against the show: three challengers is short. But given the current economic context, we could hardly have hoped for better.
