Sam Goodchild: "I hope to shake up the favourites a bit..."

I am definitely going to be watch the others from what I can read and understand at the moment. It is going to be hard to begin with to make sure you are not last at the equator. But I guess the thing is trying to be comfortable. There will be times when the boat is quick and times when it will be slow. I just want to keep the boat in one piece. It is not necessarily to be at the equator first. 

My general philosophy is to complete the race. I am not going to put pressure on myself and worry about being dropped before the equator and thinking ‘oh god the race is a failure’ It is about staying comfortable and enjoying myself. 

Control the controllables is key and really making sure I am not over-prioritising staying with the fast boats just because everyone told me I should be a favourite. I want to be enjoying and staying comfortable and by that I mean not being comfortable on the boat but being comfortable in my limits. 

For 10 weeks at sea you have to be in a good place, making sure you are performing well all the way through the race, and so you have to be doing what you enjoy. 

Thomas gave me some advice about having a programme for communication, so maybe I will. My wife is very understanding and has been around this sailing world for a while and knows how it works. And it is a two way thing. It is good to have news from home but you have to make sure you are not distracting yourself. We are all human and going to sea for ten weeks, my daughter is two years old and is going to be a different girl when I get back. 

I need to keep looking at the weather and I have friends and family turning up now so I look forwards to spending some time with them. 

I was on the boat with Mike Golding as a nipper working with his team and so I have an idea what it will be like but I am sure it will be a great experience with all the team, friends, family and well wishers cheering us off. 

“It’s actually something I’ve been aiming for for quite a long time. Since I discovered it in 2004. It’s great to be there. I want to make the most of it. I’m very happy to be here. What makes me dream is the adventure, the challenge of going around the world alone on a boat. There is of course also the competitive aspect that I like because trying to do it faster than your friends is necessarily stimulating. I admit that for me, it's all a bit crazy, probably also because the first time I suggested the idea of ​​doing the race, I was told that it was too big, too ambitious and probably impossible. At the same time, I know few 15-year-olds who want to do that and whose parents say "Yes, go for it, it'll be easy!"  (Laughs)

“What’s incredible is that in 2004, the Vendée Globe seemed far away and improbable, and that four years later I actually found myself on Mike’s boat, in the Sables d’Olonne channel going out accompany him out to the starting line with his team. It remains such a powerful experience. This time, it’s my turn. I knew that I wanted to do the Vendée Globe, that I was going to give everything to achieve it, but I didn’t know how or when. It took me a little while, but I’m here! I’m having a hard time realizing that, unlike sixteen years ago, I’m not the one who’s going to return to port after the start. I’m finally going to have this experience that I’ve been chasing for for so long!” Generally speaking, race starts are never easy moments. I know this one is going to be intense.”

I want to be proud of what I have done at the finish. I want the team members, who have worked like mad for years on the boat, to be proud too. Yes I am an outsider and my role is to shake up the favourites. We will see how it goes but I try not to let my ambitions for results take up too much head space. First of all, we will have to finish and therefore not explode in flight beforehand.”

“It’s certain that over the last twenty years, even though I’ve never done the Vendée Globe and I haven’t necessarily sailed a lot solo and in IMOCA, I’ve had many opportunities to race on different boats and with different people. I’ve learned a lot of things and that has contributed to my preparation. However, I’m not minimizing what awaits me. Sailing around the world alone is no small feat. I’ve tried to prepare for this event as best I can. I’ve gleaned advice from people who’ve already done it. Now it’s up to me to do my own race and see how I’m going to experience it.”

“The first thing is the solitude. What does it mean to be all alone for three months? Today, I don’t know. The second is not to s succeed in placing the cursor in the right place to be efficient but also to be able to finish. We did things which in effect were sprints, like transatlantic races, which allowed me to see that I was capable of making the boat move quickly. Now, I will have to be able to do it in a much longer time. They say that a round the world race is one problem, one shitty thing, every day, but what kind of pain? There are a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, even if I was lucky enough to have done almost all the stages of The Ocean Race (in 2021-2022 aboard Holcim - PRB, editor's note). One thing is certain in any case: what excites me and motivates me is the racing, the competition.”

"Since I got it, it hasn't undergone any major changes. With the team, we tried above all to make it reliable to do things properly and maximize the tool. We also made sure to improve it ergonomically and in terms of comfort. In the end, we worked on a lot of details that mean that today on board it's more like my home than someone else's."

"It's precisely not having a particular strength but being quite versatile. I know how to do a bit of everything without being a total specialist in anything, even if, over the years, I have a bit of experience on quite a few different areas. I also love being at sea. There are tough times and complicated situations, but I always try to enjoy all of the moments I spend at sea, which are quite exceptional nonetheless.”

“It’s the image of the Southern Ocean, with endless waves and albatrosses. For me, this is the type of image that defines the Vendée Globe because it’s the longest and hardest part. If I had to mention a more specific image, it’s that of Jean Le Cam, whose boat was upside down, who was rescued by Vincent Riou off Cape Horn, during the 2008-2009 edition. I obviously hope I don’t experience this type of situation!”

“It’s hard to choose one ahead of another, but if I have to choose just one, it’s a memory I have aboard Spindrift 2, during a Jules Verne Trophy. As we were crossing the equator, we witnessed a lunar eclipse that we weren’t expecting. It was quite impressive.”

“I did three transatlantic races and lots of other races with it. On board, I had lots of fun times with lots of people.”

“To finish it and be proud of what I did.”

“Loïck Peyron. He gives off a positive energy, both strong and professional. I love his way of seeing and doing things.”

Boats of all types, kiting… I’m on the water as much as possible! For me, sailing is not just a job.”

“A small plastic pony. It belongs to my daughter and it hasn’t left my side for six years.”