His excellent, inspirational race chimed with race followers who appreciated his down to earth demeanour and his drive and talent and his popular successes see him return in 2024 with a more competitive, more efficient project racing the boat which was Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss and the first 11th Hour Racing.
Four years ago, the former Figaro sailor left as a virtual unknown and returned to Les Sables d’Olonne as a hero, stealing the show with his thick red beard, his tears of emotion and his improbable ninth place, on an old boat with daggerboards on board which he had only sailed once solo before the start. Now he is back four years later, with a few more miles under his belt, a much larger team, and above all a much more efficient “foiler”, with which he has experienced some bad moments over the last three years, as well as some highs. However, he intends to approach his second Vendée Globe with the same philosophy, that of living day by day and seizing all the opportunities that present themselves, Who knows maybe he can stage another coup?
