In the Ferré family, things happen late, but they happen fast
Benjamin's parents married at the age of 30 in 1988. They soon moved to Rennes, where their first child Thomas was born, followed by Benjamin a year later. Anne says: " The beginning of our lives was a real mess! Since we got married late, we wanted to make up for lost time, so we had the kids right away, while at the same time setting up a business. We did everything at the same time, so it was really important for everyone to get on with things and keep up! The children quickly found themselves in charge, and at 7 and 8 years old, we trusted them with the basics of life at home. As we didn't have time to look after them during the week, it was a case of system D. We had no choice, and it worked very well that way. For example, at 7 and 8, we could let them look after their one-year-old sister, which helped them develop a temperament and become independent very quickly. "
Rarely supervised like all children of this generation, Thomas and Benjamin spend their time challenging each other to see who can jump the farthest, or run the fastest. But which of them wanted to see what it felt like to drive Dad's car, which was parked on a slope and crashed into the family garage after they removed the handbrake? We don't have enough information to pinpoint the culprit, but as is often the case with Benjamin's projects, it was a collective adventure.
At weekends, however, Anne and Pascal are entirely available for their children, and Anne, who is very sporty, takes them on outdoor adventures where she pushes her sons to excel: "O n'va à donf! ", she regularly calls out to them as they pedal at full speed. " Where is it? "asks little Benjamin every time. He is currently searching for answers in the southern latitudes.
Two-speed adolescence
When Benjamin was 11, the family moved to Marseille for Pascal's business. The latter, a keen ocean racer, launched a Mediterranean sailing trophy in 2001, the Trophée de Marseille: " I don't know if Benjamin remembers because he never talks about it, but when Pascal, my husband, created this trophy, Benjamin met Ellen Macarthur, Roland Jourdain, Vincent Riou, Jean-Pierre Dick... In fact, the port of Marseille had been fitted out to accommodate all their monohulls ".
To keep her children busy in summer, when Thomas and Benjamin were 13 and 14, Anne sent them to learn light sailing at Les Glénans and on Lac d'Hourtin in the southwest of France. It wasn't yet the open sea and nights at sea, but Benjamin learned the rudiments of navigation. During this period, he grew up slowly, and according to his mom, this played a part in shaping his temperament: " In second grade he was still 1.60 meters tall, he had quite tall and athletic friends and I think he had this drive to exist, and to be recognized, despite his small size, it gave him strength, and finally all of a sudden he grew in first grade and was finally able to find his place. "
At home, Anne and Pascal have 3 golden rules: " If they got their grades right, we didn't bother them, then they had to let off steam by playing sports, and finally, they had to make music to learn about culture, all in good fun - that was the most important thing. "Benjamin doesn't hesitate to try out a whole range of activities: soccer, rugby, rock-climbing, tennis, horse-riding, he's got his fingers in everything, with a strong desire to prove he's got what it takes. The teenager is afraid of nothing, wants to test everything and build up a solid experience, but not without leaving a few feathers in the fire, as he collects injuries and stitches, which never alarm his mother:" I wasn't the type to tell them to be careful, on the contrary, I let them experiment and as long as there was an objective and a valid reason for taking risks, I didn't hold them back. "
Cap on the adventure
At the age of 18, Benjamin studied in Angers and took part in the 4L Trophy, at the wheel of a pink 4L sponsored by Body Minute beauty salons. He then alternated between professional missions and adventures, with a round-the-world hitchhiking trip that took him around Cape Horn on a hitchhiking boat, and 2 years later, a 3? month sextant crossing of the Atlantic with 2 buddies, as inexperienced as himself, to see what it felt like, again and again. A few years later, a sailor he met on a pontoon told him about his race, and that's all it took for Benjamin to take the start of the mini-transat 6.50 in 2019.
on his Mini, he crossed the Atlantic solo once again, under the colors of IMAGO, an association he created to support adventurers in their projects and help them move from dream to reality. He came 2nd in the race, and surprised everyone with his good results, as he didn't come from a sailing background. A few years later, he ran into Jean Le Cam, who told him about his Vendée Globe 2020, and as usual, that's all it took for Benjamin to take the start of the same race in 2024. If he crosses paths with Inoxtag or Thomas Pesquet, we're likely to find him in the Himalayas or on the International Space Station in a few years' time...
Right on course
Faithful to the values passed on to him by his parents, Benjamin is having a great race, with an infectious joy, which he spreads via videos where we see him dancing and singing on his boat, and telling us about his adventures with his little-boy eyes, reminding us that even if it's extreme and pushes sailors to their limits, the Vendée Globe still gives a lot of happiness to those who take part. Benjamin is a pleasure to follow, and adds a sparkle to the glasses of salt water drunk by all these adventurers.
