Francis Joyon is the last winner of the Route du Rhum, in 2018, even offering himself a record of 7 days, after an epic battle with François Gabart. He is back on the same boat, and intends to compete with boats newer than his and especially much more protected.
This will be your 8th participation in the Route du Rhum, what makes you want to return?
Simply the desire to sail. It's a beautiful race, with a beautiful course. It remains an adventure, where there are still some surprises. The unknown is mainly the weather because we know the route. Discovery is omnipresent. There are always things to learn.
As the title holder in Ultim, what is your objective in this race?
I have multiple objectives. To try to have the cleanest race possible, to take the boat to its maximum potential, depending on the elements. If the conditions are right for the boat, then I will have a small chance of success too.
The race director, Francis Le Goff, believes that the record, currently 7 days, can be broken in less than 6 days. What is your opinion?
If the weather is like the Jacques Vabre two years ago, with crosswinds, the record will definitely be broken. There are editions with headwind conditions, and it's pretty tough. In these conditions, the fastest boats can take up to 9 days. I would say between 6 days with favorable conditions and up to 9 days if they are unfavorable.
How do you evaluate the competition and the level on this Ultim circuit? What are your chances with a 2006 boat?
It is a harder boat because it is not protected. All the maneuvers take place outside, under heavy seas. The other competitors have protected boats. I'm not jealous, because I'm a bit claustrophobic. I'm happy to experience the race from the outside.
Some boats, in certain conditions, can be faster. It's the weather and the sea that will deal the cards. That's what's really interesting. Could a slower boat in medium winds still win? If I had refused to participate, I wouldn't have had an answer, and I hope I do!
How have you prepared Idec Sport, winner of the last three Route du Rhum? Is there still a question of optimization?
We can optimize in details, on a rope weight, sailâeuros¦ It has been so optimized by many teams that we can't do much more. It is not useful, because it has a very good carbon impact. It has been around for 16 years. If we change the floats or the foils, it would have a big impact.
The boat leaves without any technological evolution. But maybe that's what modernity is all about, keeping the boats at a good level of performance over the long term. We can see the efforts that are beginning to be made, particularly in this edition with Roland Jourdain's catamaran or Romain Pilliard's Ultim Use it Again. I think this will be even more the case in the next Route du Rhum.
How did you prepare for this race without joining the Ultim circuit?
We entered the Ultim class on October 6, 2022 to be able to participate in the Route du Rhum. We were not allowed to participate in the class races before. Two years ago, we did the Asian Tour, with many records and navigations. It corresponds to a round-the-world trip in terms of sailing. I remember in particular the record between Hong-Kong and London, with a departure in a stifling heat and an arrival in the foggy cold.
I also did some small sailing and participated in the Armen Race. We were able to be in contact with the competitors in summer conditions. At certain times we were in the lead, at others, behind. I got a feel for the competitors. It was interesting.
Are there any evolutions on the routing and the route to follow from one edition to another?
The weather has made significant progress. The routing has evolved in the big teams. We will have a classic routing for the weather report with Christian Dumard and Bernard Stamm.
In the big teams, there is real time tracking on everythingâeuros¦ The shape of the sails, the instrumentsâeuros¦ Is this good? I am for basic sailing. Routing is allowed, so we don't deny ourselves that, but from there to realize an assistance on performanceâeuros¦ It may be excessive in my eyes.
What will be the next step in the program?
We have a spring program but it's too early to tell.
What do you think about the future of the Ultim Class?
If it stops being an owner's class and they want to promote their boat instead, like in other classes, it will evolve positively. If it remains only a few people who decide and where nobody can say anything, it remains complicated.
