Jérémie Beyou : "I feel like I've had every Vendée Globe experience except winning."

I have a hard time explaining how I ended up doing it. I was 13 years old during the first edition, in 1989. It seemed crazy to me that sailors would set off around the world, non-stop, on these machines. Even though I was passionate about racing, about boats, the Vendée Globe seemed impossible to me, so far from my skills as a young sailor.

I had just done a season double-handed with Vincent Riou in IMOCA. That's when I said to myself: "technically, it's not very far from what I know how to do, it's becoming possible". It was a time when, when you shone in the Solitaire du Figaro, skippers graduated towards the Orma circuit more with the desire to do the Route du Rhum. For me, that question never arose. I wanted to do the Vendée Globe since I won the Solitaire du Figaro (2005).

I'm someone who likes to do things well, it doesn't really suit me to go from one circuit to another. I like to finish the stories that I start and my story with the Vendée Globe is not yet over, it is not fully successful and there remains a little feeling of unfinished business. There were my two withdrawals (2008-2009, 2012-2013), my 3rd place in 2016-2017, my return to Les Sables during the last edition... I have the impression of having experienced everything in this race except the victory.

No, no breakdown, no hard moment traumatized me enough to put me off this race. Of course, there are moments of discouragement, hard knocks but they are never stronger than the desire to do well and the will to give the maximum in order to be as strong as possible. Not everything is controllable, you have to work hard while accepting that hazards that are not your responsibility come to destabilize you. But that is part of the sport. For my part, I come back to each edition even more motivated with the desire to do even better.

For him, it was a weekend hike but for me it was Everest. I am not really comfortable in the mountains and I quickly became out of breath and tired. At one point, I found myself stuck on a ridge. There was a 500-metre drop and I had no way of turning back. It took me a while to pull myself together and move forward again, little by little. We then spent a night in a refuge and we talked together, talking about our experiences and this type of situation. We both operate in a hostile environment in total autonomy. And if I have to face a similar situation, it will be valuable to remember it.  

No, not really, I always try to take as few things as possible. The big news is that I will take a good pillow! I still have the usual one – a ball pillow – but I will also have a feather pillow. I know that it helps me sleep better!

I am lucky that my wife and two children are involved in the project. They support me understand, support me. We prepare the Vendée Globe together and it’s also their adventure. I don’t have many photos hanging on the boat. On the other hand, my wife always makes me a little laminated album with nice photos of my three children… I like to look at it from time to time.

Over time, you inevitably end up getting tired of certain dishes. I have a lot of trouble with dishes in sauce for example. I take a mix of freeze-dried dishes and vacuum-packed dishes. But what I like most is to prepare them myself: I open several bags, I prepare vegetables, then meat and I add a condiment or olive oil. It takes me a little longer but it brings me closer to a classic meal. 

Stress isn't constant but of course it's there. At sea and solo, the slightest mistake can be costly. It involves a certain amount of stress, tough moments but it's not negative or blocking. On the contrary, it allows you to always be alert, to always challenge yourself to find the right trajectory and make good decisions.

Yes, I think that in sport you don't progress if you don't doubt. You have to constantly question yourself in technical and strategic choices, the weather... You have to doubt but in a healthy way. On the other hand, I don't doubt those around me, the work that has been done by the team, the trust of my loved ones, the support of my sponsors. They all contribute to shaping a reassuring universe, which is an essential key to performance.