What are your thoughts on the 2024 Vendée Globe?
How I look at this 10 e edition? I didn't think we'd find 40 boats on the line. The qualification and preparation processes are impressive. The whole fleet is ultra-prepared. By way of comparison, in 1996, I found my boat in September, 8 weeks before the start.
What do you think of foilers, which didn't exist in the two Vendée Globe races you sailed?
In my opinion, they are unbearable. I'm amazed that we're capable of inventing flying boats, but worried about the consequences of a collision with a UFO, but also for the physical integrity of the sailors. And above all, the pleasure they can have.
What's the main change you've seen between 1996 and 2024?
Once at sea, sailors are obliged to make daily contact with land. But we communicate a lot. I've seen the difference between 1996 and 2000. We've gone from radio links to satellite. Times change. When we had few exchanges with land, we delivered stronger, denser messages. Today, skippers are obliged to put themselves on stage, and I find that the content is less dense, less authentic. We need to bring the race to life for the public on a daily basis.
But that doesn't take anything away from their sporting achievements. It's still crazy to circumnavigate Antarctica on a sailboat.
Are there any similarities between our communications and those of 1996?
One thing remains, and that's to see them face technical problems. They're going to have problems, and we're going to have to find solutions. The testimonies given during these delicate periods are relevant. Watching them come up with ingenious ways of coping with these problems is interesting.
How has your experience as a sailor helped you in your political life?
Experiencing a Vendée Globe, including a capsize in the Indian Ocean, gives me the legitimacy to talk about the oceans. The open sea has made me understand what's at stake. I'm still learning from this first Vendée Globe.
Rising sea levels are our main concern. People want to build dikes, but that won't be enough. We'll have to accept that the sea will invade certain areas. But, as in the run-up to the Vendée Globe, I'm a great believer in the power of teamwork.
You have decided not to stand for re-election to the European Parliament. Why did you make this choice?
I took up this mandate in much the same way as I took up ocean racing, with passion and determination. I submitted several resolutions concerning the ocean, notably to ban deep-sea mining. I also proposed an amendment to the text on packaging to put an end to the use of polystyrene chips in cartons, an amendment which was adopted by Parliament. It's an achievement I'm particularly proud of. But today, I'm coming out of this mandate a little tired, and I need life to slow down, and to see to what extent I can continue to be useful.
Is the Harlé Mortain plan, with which you raced the 96 edition, still in the family?
For the moment, yes. We still have our red cigar with which I raced the Route du Rhum in 2022. I finished second in class, crossing the finish line on my 60th birthday. What's more, it was an excellent communication tool to highlight our work in parliament, and the issues involved. Before that, my husband had raced the previous Route du Rhum, after restoring it. But today, we're looking to hand her over to a new skipper who will continue to sail this incredible yacht, which has a wonderful history.
I'm going to continue sailing, but cruising, and on a physically less demanding boat.
Will you be at the start of the Vendée Globe 2024?
I don't know if I'll be at the start, but I went to the party that brought together all the skippers who have finished in the rankings since 1989.
