The vast majority of skippers took time off last week to be home, or take a short holiday before this final high intensity run in to the start. At this stage, with five days to go, the sailors are being careful with their time, trying to ensure they build up rest and sleep time, looking more and more carefully at the weather for the first few days of the race whilst allocating time to media and sponsor obligations.
BUILDING TENSION
Among the international skippers Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) looks relaxed but admits the tension is creeping in slowly but surely. He took quality time off with his family last week.
“I feel pretty ready. Right now I am just putting a few final clothes on the boat, doing last system checks. We went for a sail yesterday and did a full double system check which went reassuringly well. There is a certain tension creeping in as the magnitude of it all starts to take hold, but the mental side of it – going away for three months – takes a bit of processing, a bit of thinking. I am relatively comfortable. The weather looks OK just now, we might get a way with a sunny NE’ly, light winds start. There could be some strong winds off Cape Finisterre but if we are lucky we might get all the way downwind, if not we hook into the bottom of a low. But we are looking at a fairly tame start. The first week I enjoyed here, the second week I went home and caught up with life and logistics, and family. This week I am keeping a programme which is not too busy.”
Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) says she has been doing some media interviews today but is keeping half of each day for herself for sport, for meteo, for meditation, and to keep away from the hustle and bustle of the village, which she does love because it is part of the pleasure of the Vendée Globe which she wants to enjoy to the fullest, but which demands a lot from her and drains her energy.
BOAT BUILDING........
Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Global One) has other distractions to partially occupy his mind.
“I have the business of building a new IMOCA to keep me busy and so yesterday I was in Vannes and today I have had meetings with the designers. I am fully preparing mentally for the race and still feel quite relaxed. I have been doing some media and doing some weather and am fully in race mode and some final troubleshooting, just final checks.”
Szabolcs ‘Szabi’ Weöres (New Europe), the Hungarian skipper making ready for his first Vendée Globe says “I am excited, not really nervous yet. I’ve been doing some work with Adrena and setting up the computers, checking internet connections and so on. I did a couple of interviews today one with French media and one with Hungarian. I’ve been packing some food. Thursday I will do a last bike ride, probably 60kms or so. I have been looking at the weather and after the Transat Jacques Vabre and Route du Rhum starts it looks too good to be true. But it could all change!”
After the pandemic blighted the travel plans of her family and friends and sponsors four years ago Pip Hare (MEDALLIA) is trying to find the right balance between her commitments to them and still finding some ‘off’ time.
“To be honest I want to go now!” she explained, “I have quite a bit of tension now and pressure which I am sure will dissipate when we get going. I really need to manage my time as I have quite a lot of responsibilities. It is not easy to focus. I am trying to segregate time to allocate to different things. I have my parents here which is really lovely as they could not make it last time. To be honest they are loving it, most of all the Sodebo café in the Media Centre!”
SOLIDARITY BUILDING BETWEEN USA AND CHINA.......
Chinese skipper Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) has been enjoying spending time with the veteran US skipper Rich Wllson who has completed two Vendée Globes. He has asked Wilson to steer his boat out of the Les Sables d’Olonne channel on Sunday.
“It is a really lovely gesture on his part, just showing how politics does not mean for anything in this sport. Our nations America and China may have a certain rivalry but this is a great act of solidarity among sailors.” Smiled Wilson in Les Sables d’Olonne yesterday the day of the US elections. Wilson a avid Democrat was advised of Donald Trump’s victory two days into the 2016-2017 race and jokingly threatened to do a ‘Bernard Moitessier’ and keep on sailing after finishing. With today’s news Wilson may seek a very late entry or seek French citizenship!
