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A boat ready to sail around the world
For the first edition of 2018, the start of La Longue Route will be individual, from a port north of the 50° parallel. Based in Ouistreham, Pierre-André is casting off from this port on July 28, ready and waiting, as he explains: "I'd pretty much read everything that had been written about round-the-world tours between 1930 and now. All those books, pencils in hand. My wife used to say to me, 'You look like you're about to take an exam'. I also had my own experience. I had sailed a lot in the difficult conditions of the North Atlantic. When I saw how VDH had prepared his boat on the GGR, we had done the same things. I'd also added watertight bulkheads after my Pogo experience. I had the experience of seeing how a wave can fill the boat in a second. The mistake I made was not closing the companionway hatch. The Contessa is not unsinkable, and is very heavy. I installed three compartments to make the boat as safe as possible. I have total confidence in my Contessa. In the first 2018 edition and in this 2024 edition, I think it's one of the best boats. In high latitudes, you can hit something, have a leak, but the shock is still less on our boats, which sail at 7 knots maximum. My boat is 50 years old, but she hasn't moved on this round-the-world trip. On my first round-the-world trip, I got laid up at 90°, but the Contessa 32 has a lot of torque, so it straightens out. I know that on this new round-the-world trip, I can get rolled 360°."
Around the world without an engine
For his first round-the-world trip, Pierre-André made a special choice. To disembark the engine, as he explains: "When I go out to sea, it's a bit romantic, but it's always a first time. I always get the same pleasure and happiness from being on the water. I love sailing. For the Long Route, I take the engine out. What's it used for offshore? The engine is used to get in and out of a port. When I sail in the summer, it runs for 2 hours in two months. I sail to my anchorages and leave them the same way. I sail a lot in Scotland and Ireland and I do everything under sail."
The utmost vigilance and caution
Although he sails exclusively, he never forgets the vigilance required for a non-stop single-handed round-the-world voyage. He explains: "I'm careful. I know that I don't know everything, that I can be surprised. I'm going carefully, even if I have a reckless side. I've prepared my boat carefully. I don't like to force the boat. I want to reduce in time, not be over-stretched... Normally, the shrouds have to be changed every 15,000 miles, but we're sailing 26,000 miles. It doesn't take much for a mast to fall down. I spend a lot of time checking everything to make sure it's not damaged. That's also one of the pleasures of sailing, being part of it all."
Safety, Pierre-André's major asset
For his first Longue Route, Pierre-André added a bubble to his boat, instead of the usual hoods found on Contessa 32s, so he could see while being protected. He explains: "The Contessa is a boat that gets wet a lot. The English call it a 'sailing submarine'. Instead of a sliding hatch, I installed a hinged hatch with a bubble on the companionway to see out. I closed the cockpit lockers by adding plywood planks with visibility hatches to see what's inside. These are real watertight boxes. "
The sailor also added two 10 mm watertight bulkheads at the bow and stern. Victim of a capsize in 2008, the man remains marked by the force of inertia of water and its capacity to destroy everything.
For safety, Pierre-André installed lifelines centered on the side decks and aft coachroof, which slide towards the mast like a V shape. Positioned at hand level, they ensure that the sailor doesn't fall into the water. He has also installed another lifeline in front of the mast, in the middle of the deck. For heavy weather, a final lifeline is positioned transversely in the cockpit, so that the line can be hooked before leaving the cabin.
"My approach is to rely solely on yourself. We're far from everything, far from cargo ships, far from the coast. You have to try to do everything yourself. You have to sail as if you had no contact with land. You have to fend for yourself. That's my first safety principle. I designed my boat and chose and prepared it with that in mind", concludes Pierre-André.
Pierre-André completes his first round-the-world voyage in 221 days, after rounding all three capes and returning to Ouistreham as a hero.
