And he is well worth listening to. Peyron is a household name in France and has earned almost every accolade on the ocean. He smiles at the idea of being part of history (in addition to his participation in 1989, he was on the starting line in 2008 but had to retire when the mast of Gitana 80 broke). He enjoys his popularity on the pontoons and sees things with a positive eye and loves to see new generations of sailors and boats join the race.
Loïck on start day……and all it brings, he says it is a huge psychological challenge. "On every major race and even more so for a round the world race there is a huge mental loading built up and it all pours out on D-Day. The pressures are many. Stress builds up from the preparation, the great expectations placed on the sailors by family, friends, the public. Then, going out of the channel is a very special moment. There are few places in the world that resemble such an alley for the gladiators heading out to sea. At the end of this moment everything suddenly stops at the 'start'."
Loïck on the light weather expected. "Sometimes, the weather adds yet more stress and apprehension. The fact that it is light this Sunday with little wind and no sea, that changes everything. It is so nice to set off barefoot and relaxed! But if there is very little wind, the boats are certainly not very manoeuvrable but there is no particular concern. Nevertheless, with the ergonomics of the boats (the majority of cockpits are now closed), you have to be vigilant. It would be a shame to do something stupid on the starting line."
Loïck on the last night on land. "Before I liked to take a tour of the pontoons, on the evening before the start, to look at the boats, imagine the different scenarios but now that is becoming difficult to do but above all, I do not think it is useful. The best thing is to disconnect, to get as far away as possible from the pre-race constraints in order to think about something else. The sooner the bubble around the skipper is sealed the better."
Loïck on the enduring magic of the Vendée Globe. “There is always this great feeling of adventure, people on land have always been attracted by the sea and mariners who go there. Everything that is really far from land really fascinates people. The Vendée Globe is also a success because it makes you dream. Here, people don’t just say “well done” but they say “thank you”. It is much more rewarding, it shows that sailors make you think whilst sprinkling a bit of salt spray and adventure into the imagination of race fans and spectators.”
