Le Roi Jean – King Jean as he is known in his native France – raced a brand new, modern David Raison designed IMOCA which he and Eric Bellion conceived jointly. As usual his wily, experienced strategies paid off at many points on his race but too many times he was snared by periods of light winds at key stages to really be able to make an impression on the top half of the fleet this time. Nonetheless he was again at his phlegmatic, humorous best as he came to terms with the many, many challenges of his race, not least having to climb the mast to replace his J2 forestay. But there was never any doubt how much the veteran is happiest at sea and fully content to be taking on the Vendée Globe again.
While he might appear like an aged rock star with his weather beaten face and the huge unruly quiff of jet black hair, Le Cam might more readily be associated with Sinatra’s ‘My Way’. He launched himself into a spectacular easterly option off Madeira right from the start of the race, when the trade winds were just not there His audacity paid off but only temporarily. But King Jean was momentarily crowned first in the rankings!
And he had fun with it… “In life you have to dare just believe in yourself!” he said at the time before slumping in a long, long period of light winds crossing the equator in 22nd position.
In the South Atlantic, Jean shows the full potential of this new boat and does takes the lead of his group. "22, 24 knots. Here we are flirting with the limits of stupidity .... It's hot potato, but it should ease off!", says Le Cam crossing the Cape of Good Hope for the ninth time, setting a new speed record for the boat at 32 knots.
In the Indian Ocean he sails a direct straight course in the north and observes from afar the hot head "rookies" who plough through the big storms. Side by side with Isabelle Joschke (MACSF) who had impressed him so much four years ago and also Alan Roura (Hublot) and Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian), Jean Le Cam unfolds a neatly modulated, smart race.
In the Pacific, the weather gods are with him, and once he has got around the initial calm, they offer him a real motorway. He leaves his pack behind to catch up day after day with Damien Segin (Groupe APICIL) and Romain Attanasio (Fortinet – Best Western).
On January 4 at night, for the eighth time in his life, Jean rounds Cape Horn. He is in 16th position. “Oh my goodness!”, he exclaims as he passes, also talking to the light house keeper
On January 14, his J2 stay breaks. Caught in the calm, Le Cam drops to 22nd place, and above all had to climb the mast twice to get his rigging back in racing shape.
A failed bet
After the equator, the Azores and their high pressure allowed him to catch up with the pack again, but a broken hook forced him to climb to 29 metres again. Although he didn't spare himself in the final days of the race, Jean Le Cam was unable to keep up with those in front, and finished in 20th place, just ahead of Conrad Colman, and behind his non foiling daggerboard boats Monnoyeur Duo for a Job and Lazare.
Something of an advocate for a place in the fleet for the non foiling modern boats, Le Cam still hailed the "stratospheric" performances of Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA).
His conclusion? "My dream would be to go for a ride with Charlie Dalin on his foiling boat".
