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On the eve of the start of the Transat Café L'Or 2025, the atmosphere on the pontoons in Le Havre is both studious and relaxed. Among the duos taking part in this crossing to Martinique, one tandem is catching the eye: Michel Desjoyaux, nicknamed Le Professeur, is on board with Alexandre Le Gallais, an entrepreneur from Montpellier who has moved from the swimming pool to offshore sailing. Aboard their brand-new Class40, christened Trimcontrol together, they answered our offbeat interview.
An alchemy of generations and backgrounds
When an old sea dog with a record of achievements as long as a windless day crosses paths with a sailor who is still an amateur, the result is a meeting full of surprises. Between Michel Desjoyaux and Alexandre Le Gallais, there's no pretense or tongue-in-cheek. From the very first questions, the friendly glances and frank answers set the tone. What unites them? A shared desire to learn, to pass on knowledge, but above all to have fun at sea.
Confidences in the cabin before the open sea
In this interview filmed in the cabin of their Class40, the two sailors play the game of confidences. From the little lucky charms they slip on board to the dishes they dream of savoring in Fort-de-France, each answer sheds light on a different aspect of their adventure. Desjoyaux, deadpan, confides his taste for strong winds from the very first hours of the race, while Le Gallais makes no secret of his impatience to "get back to having fun at sea".
A Class40 fresh from the yard
Trimcontrol, their mount for this transatlantic race, is racing for the first time. The rules were validated in Lorient at the beginning of September 2025, and the boat arrives with a host of new features. Without revealing any technical secrets, the skippers talk about what they would have liked to have carried on board... And they're not short of spice.
The sea as a playground and learning ground
The interview also looks at what still drives a veteran like Desjoyaux to take to the open seas, and what makes a rookie like Le Gallais tick. The sea books that marked them, their first ports of call, the sailors who made them dream as kids... so many little touches that paint the portrait of a duo united by a common passion.
