To offer a breath of fresh air to the wounded, widows and orphans of war
The Association La Voile pour se reconstruire was born 5 years ago from the initiative of Christophe Combi, its president. A former soldier, he took part in a regatta with friends in Brittany. There were only 5 crew members on board and he came up with the idea of taking on board hospitalized war wounded, totally free of charge, to give them a "breath of fresh air" and to show them their gratitude by offering them a cruise.
"I had just returned from Mali and went to visit some of my men at the Percy hospital. Most of them are young people, hospitalized in their rooms. I thought it would be nice to offer them a breath of fresh air. During the week, we took on board about ten war wounded. It was great, they were happy! So we wanted to continue on our way", begins Christophe Combi.
If at the beginning, it was only a question of renting a sailboat and welcoming a dozen wounded, the association has since evolved. In 2021, it will rent 11 sailboats and welcome about a hundred wounded, widows and orphans of war. An evolution made possible thanks to faithful and generous partners.
At the beginning, the boardings took place over a week, divided between Brittany and the Mediterranean. In the first case, it was the Ports du Morbihan regatta organized by the Yacht-Club du Crouesty, which fully supports the association's project, and in the second, a cruise between Toulon and Marseille.
"We said to ourselves that it would be good to multiply the embarkations to also organize outings on the weekend. We then asked our partners if it would be possible to buy our own sailboat to gain autonomy and reactivity, without having to rent at the last minute. We found 4 partners to buy a Sun Loft 47 with Dream Yacht Charter, which lends itself well to the reception of people with reduced mobility" continues Christophe Combi.
Thus, La Voile pour se reconstruire is supported in its approach by 4 partners:
- Fraternal Earth which supports injured soldiers and their families, as well as the families of fallen soldiers.
- The National Office for Veterans and Victims of War war (ONAC)
- Tego an association that offers insurance products to the military
- The Institution of Social Management of the Armed Forces (IGESA)
The sailing boat will be inaugurated on June 26, 2021 in Saint-Mandrier, the boat's home port. Thus, in addition to the two weeks of sailing organized each year, the association will propose weekends of navigation of 3 days in the Mediterranean.
The next campaign will start on June 26, until July 3, with 8 sailboats from 45 to 50 feet for a flotilla. Proof of the success of the operation, in 2019, the association has proposed a tour of Corsica on 6 catamarans of 50 feet, hosting 80 wounded, widows and orphans of war.
"Welcoming a hundred injured people was a critical size for the association. We are all volunteers and it is very time consuming to organize sea trips. We didn't want to have to turn people away either. The first weekend will therefore be organized at the same time as the christening of the boat with 6 war wounded on board" explains Christophe Combi.
Sailing for therapeutic and physical benefits
The volunteers of the association are all passionate about sailing, hence the choice of this medium to support the war wounded. But sailing has several other advantages over other sports, including therapeutic properties.
"None of the injured had ever sailed before, they are discovering this sea environment. We show them our gratitude, we offer them this cruise to show them that we are thinking of them. But we don't just take them on board, we also introduce them to sailing. They participate in the maneuvers, take the helm. Often, these young people feel diminished, even though they were in the prime of their lives, athletic. They have a low self-esteem and are often depressed. Getting them to discover something they didn't know about and getting them involved gives them back their confidence. They succeed in apprehending new situations. It's a real school of life. When they embark, it is also symbolic! They leave their problems on land for a while! Half of the post-traumatically wounded have experienced quite difficult combat situations, with memories that oppress them. They tend to isolate themselves. If we took them on a hike, they would find themselves alone, at the back of the pack. On a boat, it's a confined universe. There is no room for isolation. Everyone has a role on board!" says Christophe Combi.
In addition to the psychological aspect, sailing also serves as rehabilitation for the physically injured. It is necessary to work on the arms and legs with the constant search for balance.
Word of mouth and collaborations with casualty support units
Volunteers can register for the various embarkations via the association's website. The association also works in collaboration with the assistance units of the different armies (land, air and navy), the ONAC, and associations such as Terre Fraternité, les Gueules cassées, Solidarités Défense..
Activities are also relayed by word of mouth, especially when an injured person returns to hospital and is reunited with his or her companions.
Thanks to the involvement of the association's partners, boarding is totally free, as Christophe Combi explains.
"Our partners give us subsidies, which allow us to rent boats, to fill the fridges, to pay the sailing expenses. Our skippers and crew are volunteers who commit themselves to take charge of a boat and accompany the participants. We have one crew per boat rented. With the two one-week campaigns, they have the choice to come when they want. Having two different locations also allows us to adapt to the mobility problems of each person, the physically injured, who have difficulty moving around, and the psychologically injured, who are often agoraphobic (afraid of crowds). This way we limit travel time so it's not a barrier."
Restore confidence and joy of living
"Sailing is about crew spirit, mutual aid and solidarity. We live great moments on the water. Some people arrive closed like oysters, and evolve throughout the cruise. It's great. I remember the first campaign in Brittany. Some young people who were completely down in the dumps and in an uncertain psychological state had joined us. They were doubtful about taking part in a regatta, they had never sailed a boat. While they were in their corner, we explained to them how to do the maneuvers, the tacks, what was going to happen... And to see that gleam in their eyes, that fighting instinct awaken, it was magic. They joined the army driven by adventure and action and were stopped in midair. They find the notion of competition and the desire to win", concludes Christophe Combi.
