Louis Duc: "I only ask for one thing, to go back!"
Louis Duc a proud, self reliant offshore and ocean racer from Normandy today completed his first solo round the world race. He showed great faith his own routing choices, often backing his bold choices. He was not afraid to push into and through some of the bigger weather systems of this edition of the Vendée Globe, true to his reputation as a resilient and ingenious sailor. He sailed hard and repaired when he needed to, keeping his race on the course. He exploited the opportunities in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
His IMOCA which was almost entirely rebuilt by himself and a small team after a fire in 2019 stands out as a testament to his know-how and tenacity. In the final days of the race, a new challenge awaited him: the breakage his port daggerboard.
And today after finishing the skipper of Fives Group – Lantana Environnement shared his simple pleasure and satisfaction at completing his lifelong dream, the Vendée Globe.
Vendée Globe :
How do you feel after this first round the world race and this wonderful welcome?
I'm on cloud nine right now. It's hard to explain. I stayed focused until the end, because the last week wasn't easy. After Cali (Arnaud Boissières, editor's note) dismasted, I was afraid the same thing would happen to me, so I didn't let up until the finish line. Three days ago, I broke a daggerboard and I was lucky that it didn't damage anything else. But the last few tacks were complicated: I was sailing close-hauled, the boat was sliding to leeward. I had to stay focused right to the end. Now, I'm finally starting to decompress a little. There are a lot of people, it's impressive, but it's so nice to see people from all walks of life here now.
Vendée Globe :
Did the experience live up to your expectations?
I kind of have mixed feelings. I am delighted, because we have come a long way. We recovered this boat four years ago, as a wreck. We rebuilt it, set up the whole project, found funding. And there are so many people behind all this! My goal was to finish this round the world race and I would not have been able to bear not completing the race. In terms of sport, I wanted to compete with my friends from the daggerboard boats, and I was able to do so. But I also made mistakes: I damaged sails too quickly and that stopped me from being at 100%. I suffered a lot because of that, and that is what weighed on me the most: accepting that I am not always at my best. But in the end, I am happy to have finished. My boat safely back in port, and for me, it is extraordinary.
Vendée Globe :
How hard was it for you?
Yes, it was tough, but there were also incredible moments. I never felt in danger. The IMOCAs are exceptional boats, very seaworthy and reliable. Even in the Southern Ocean, despite the difficult conditions, I never felt on the limit. Of course, when you're racing, you want to push them to the limit, and that's when you make mistakes. But these boats are fantastic: being able to sail around the world in less than three months with a boat with daggerboards is extraordinary. I loved sailing on them, and I only want to go back!
Vendée Globe :
What was the most difficult moment?
Just after Cape Horn, north of the Antarctic exclusion zone. Tanguy Le Turquais, Conrad Colman and Benjamin Ferré escaped and built up a week's lead on me in just a few hours. Honestly that hurt. Today, I laugh about it, but at the time, it was very hard. They managed to catch up with competitors who were 2,000 miles ahead, like Jean Le Cam. But at that time for them, it was a jackpot. But we, who were just a few miles behind them, got stuck. It wasn't so much the fact of spending an extra week at sea that was hard, it was knowing that the others didn't do it with us.
Vendée Globe :
Were there any boring moments during these three months?
When you find yourself with only five knots of wind, the sails flapping, and we don't know when it will return, the time can seem long. When we have forecasts, we can estimate if it will last an hour or two. But when there is no sign, it was not planned and we do not know how long it will last, then it is long and frustrating.
Vendée Globe :
What about the food, do you think you managed well?
As always, at the end, there is not much left, no matter what we took with us at the start! For my part, I have a very basic management of sweets: I open a bag and it is gone, finished, we will see later! (Laughs) But I did not lack anything, because we had prepared it very well with Miranda (Merron). A friend in Normandy had also prepared delicious canned dishes for me. But hey, in the end, it was like everyone else: freeze-dried food, rice, pasta… I’m definitely going to take a break from tuna pasta before eating it again! (Laughs)
Vendée Globe :
A message for the young people who followed you?
Whether it’s to go sailing or for any other dream, you have to go for it. The biggest risk is not to try. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter. What I want to tell them is to fight for what they want. It might not go as far as you’d hoped. When I was a kid, I dreamed of winning the Vendée Globe at 23. It didn’t happen like that, but I still did this round the world race. I went there, and I came back.
Vendée Globe :
And what’s next?
Well, tonight, there’s a great party planned! Then, we’ll have to think about what comes next. I had the unique chance to do the Vendée Globe, and if I could do it again, it would be even better. It was an exceptional experience!
