Yoann Richomme: "My recovery is taking up all my energy"

A bit drained! Obviously, with these nasty viruses having been around, I don't have much energy. Between this flu and my round the world race, it's not been ideal in terms of recovery. I feel like I still need to clear my head, disconnect and get some real rest. 

That must be a factor. My daughters have been sick at home first of and so it wasn't necessarily the best option to be with them! It's true that when we started the Vendée Globe, there were less viruses than now. Everyone is going through this difficult winter, so for us who are returning after two months away from land, it's even harder. 

Oh no, I don't feel like I've changed in any way (laughs)! But I have trouble finding the motivation to do a lot of things. It's getting back into a rhythm of life that's the hardest 

Yes, it was quite enjoyable, especially the tour in Paris. It's nice to experience the interest and emotion that the Vendée Globe has aroused in many people. Sometimes, it's so strong that you almost feel like you didn't experience the same thing, as if there was a difference between reality and me.

No, and that's what's strangest and a bit disturbing. My memories of the race don't come to me automatically. I feel like I have to search for a long time, dig a lot, have to concentrate and think about it a lot. It's as if It was really a traumatic experience for my brain when that just wasn't the case...

Yes, I feel like I've said everything. I don't have any particular regrets about what I've said. I think I've said everything I can say (laughs)!

I think we've reached a higher level than we did a few years ago, that's undeniable. We've seen that teams have managed to maintain a very high level of reliability even if the boats are very tough to be on. The outcome of this Vendée Globe should be taken with a pinch of salt because we had relatively easy Southern Oceans. There are inevitably compromises to be found between the qualities of my boat and Charlie’s.

I didn’t have much very strong wind in general. I never had more than 40 knots! It made my round the world race more enjoyable, easier and I know that wasn’t the case for everyone… These were exceptional conditions.

I’m quite enthusiastic about my programme for this new season. It’s really nice to have races both crewed and double-handed. From the start of the Vendée Globe, we had clearly marked out this year,  and formed a good part of the crew. There are still some details to sort out, but we'll tackle them slowly. But I also need to take a break a bit beforehand!

What scares me the most is managing to maintain the motivation. To achieve this, I need to be able to rest well to have the resources necessary to tackle these new deadlines. For the moment, that's what's taking up all my energy!