Vendée Globe racers have to be good sailors and tacticians, but they are also top-level athletes. Between fragmented sleep and a freeze-dried diet, they evolve for several weeks in a hostile environment. Their muscles are constantly compensating for the boat's movements, and their senses are constantly on the alert. Skippers have to be able to maneuver day and night in extreme weather conditions, so their bodies have to be their best allies. This is where Stéphane Eliot, coach and sports trainer at the Lorient La Base ocean racing center, comes in.
The Vendée Globe: a race around the world and to the end of oneself
Any sporting competition requires regular and sustained physical training, and this is particularly true for the Vendée Globe racers, whose sailors will be living aboard yachts built to go faster and faster. Physical preparation orchestrated by a professional coach will enable them to cope with these intense weeks, during which they'll have to rely solely on themselves.
In this way, the sports coach naturally finds his place within the team. Training sessions are as much about learning to hold on as they are about letting off steam. It's a time when it's important to get out of your comfort zone: challenging your limits means getting to know them better so you can push them further. And Stéphane puts all his energy into getting them there: "C it's crucial for their minds ".
Preparing the sailor as well as the boat: a very recent realization
Gone (or almost gone) are the days when you had to repair your boat yourself, with a pair of pliers in one hand, a sander in the other and a screwdriver between your teeth, right up until the day before the start. Gone are the days when the sailor arrived at the starting line already exhausted, sometimes even sick from having given everything to his or her boat without having taken care of him or herself.
As Stéphane points out, the realization dates back to around ten years ago. Meeting Jérémie Beyou in 2013 was almost by chance. Just a few months after starting a physical training program with Stéphane, Jérémie's body became more athletic, and the results were immediately visible in his already prestigious list of achievements: in the 2014 season, he won the Solitaire du Figaro, then finished second on board Maître Coq on the podium of the Route du Rhum.
It's the snowball effect: other runners realize the impact of good physical preparation on race results. As Stéphane explains, " a well-prepared body will reduce the risk of injury and, indirectly, encourage more ambitious tactical choices. When you have the stamina to do more maneuvers and dare to take on weather options that will have you facing heavy weather, optimum physical condition will make all the difference. "
Feeling that your body is capable of doing better allows your mind to see further ahead
Today, skippers are almost as "pampered" as their boats. For the big teams: doctors, nutritionists, osteopaths, coaches, physical and mental trainers complete the technical and logistical team, in which the human element now has its place.
Between training aboard their boat, which remains a priority, communication, meetings with sponsors and race organizers, physical preparation sessions have to "elbow their way" into the overbooked agendas of these business leaders.
Preparation adapted to the skipper and his boat.
Training takes place in the team gym and sometimes on the beach, in the sand and in the fresh air. Stéphane commonly uses elastics, Swiss ball, medecin ball, skipping ropes, studs, rhythmic ladders... The aim is not only to test endurance and reflexes, but also to strengthen support and soften joints.
Working on "explosiveness" (adapting as quickly and efficiently as possible to a change in activity) has become a priority. For example: during a siesta, the boat suddenly fires up. You need to wake up quickly and be operational in a matter of seconds to deal with an emergency situation, safely and without injury.
Joint mobility is also at the heart of training: moving around aboard an Ultim at 40 knots quickly becomes complicated! While the joints absorb the shocks, they also have to contort themselves to carry out repairs in inaccessible corners.
In terms of rhythm, training generally begins in January and continues until April; when the boat is under construction, so is the skipper! During the season, training sessions are less frequent, but periods of sailing take over.
Stéphane regularly accompanies the skipper aboard his boat: he observes him, films him and asks him questions in order to better understand his problems and daily routine, which can vary from one boat to another: if a Figaro requires a lot of helming, we'll have to find a solution to tendonitis. Whereas on an IMOCA, we'll have to rethink cockpit ergonomics and recalculate the height of the "coffee grinders" to avoid lower back pain.
New challenges in the run-up to Vendée Globe 2024
Boat technology is evolving rapidly, and design offices are redoubling their inventiveness and engineering to optimize the performance of racing machines. As a result, Stéphane has had to adapt his training to living conditions on board.
A skipper usually burns 6,000 calories a day during a Vendée Globe, and has to deal with sleep deprivation as best he can. They may also have to wear noise-canceling headphones, and absorb the shocks caused by jolts: a boat flying (with foils) and then landing on a wave crest can be violent for both boat and skipper. In the event of intense activity (changing sails or making adjustments), the heart rate can rise sharply.
Although certain muscle groups need to be developed and protected, this race does not require any additional body power. On the other hand, sheathing and, above all, proprioception will be strongly emphasized: fluidity of joint mobility for improved agility. Certain restorative practices and postures have been specially added to this program to avoid stiffness and optimize amplitude of movement.
In short, the coach's portrait.
Stéphane Eliot has been a freelance sports coach at the Lorient la Base ocean racing center since 2013. He trains, among others, skippers Jérémie Beyou, Thomas Ruyant, Clarisse Crémer, Kojiro Shiraishi , Violette Dorange...
He is a karate instructor and holds a number of sports diplomas. As for his energy, it's both deep-rooted and ultra-contagious! His motto: " be strong to be useful ". He also offers "boot camps", outdoor sports sessions for the general public, mainly on the beach, even in the depths of winter!
