Arnaud Boissières: "I feel I want to be back.”
Arnaud Boissière, skipper of La Mie Câline, made landfall in Martinique on Wednesday 12th after a gruelling passage under jury rig after being dismasted on January 30, while sailing up the Atlantic as part of his fifth Vendée Globe. Cali had tried to continue his course by improvising with a makeshift mast and cut his mainsail. He formalized his retirement on February 2. He has again shown great determination and ingenuity by sailing to the Martinique port of Le Marin, where he was able to dock safely. His boat will soon be loaded onto a cargo ship chartered by the Transquadra race which will take his boat back to mainland France.
Vendée Globe :
How are you after these ten or twelve days spent under jury rig? It must feel jolly good to arrive?
Honestly, I went through all the emotions during this epic, but in the end, it did me good. It allowed me to be less overwhelmed by emotion at the finish, while realizing the enormous privilege and luck I have to have finished four Vendée Globes, including three in the top 10. Being here now feels great. Brieuc Maisonneuve came with part of my family and the team, and I received a fabulous welcome here, in Le Marin. There were leisure sailors here and even Vendéens passing through Martinique made the detour to come and see me. When you abandon a race and arrive in a place where you are not supposed to be, it’s almost embarrassing. But here it was huge. That’s also the magic of the Vendée Globe.
Vendée Globe :
What do you feel?
A great sense of relief and pride because, as a kid, I dreamed of sailing around the world… but also of rounding Cape Horn. I’ve rounded it five times, and that’s something that will stay with me. I may not have completed five Vendée Globes, but I’ve rounded this legendary cape five times. Pride too because I came back under my own steam, without asking for assistance, and for me, that has a real value. My boat is a part of me, a part of my life, and even my family life. This arrival, which could have been tinged with sadness, was ultimately fabulous. Everyone congratulated me on this Vendée-Rhum, and many found this concept original and rather fun.
Vendée Globe :
What next, what about the timings for the cargo ship and your return to mainland France?
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, we will take the boat out of the water. We will take the keel off it, remove the foils and the rudders. Two appendages are quite badly damaged. For the moment, we don't know yet if the boat will be placed on a cradle or put back in the water afterwards, but whatever happens, it will be set up to be ready to embark on the cargo ship chartered by Transquadra. The timings are not yet precise, but probably at the beginning of March. The cargo ship will then return to Lorient. Whatever happens I will be at the start of the Transat Café L'OR. Originally, I had lots of plans, because I love my boats and evolving. Ideally, I had imagined doing this transatlantic race with another boat, which could have become mine right after this race. But today, I don't know where we are. The decisions don't depend only on me, we have to discuss them with my partners, especially after this damage, which is not insignificant financially. In any case, it's like when you fall off a horse: you have to get back in the saddle quickly. I've been doing ocean racing for years, and this retirement isn't going to stop me. I can't stop there. I'm going to do everything I can to bounce back and put all my energy into what's next. Obviously, as far as the Vendée Globe is concerned, I want to come back. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
