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Now that conditions have become more regular, they can relax a little. Just a little, as they must remain vigilant and awake. They immediately notice numb feelings, aches and the need to sleep, which had been forgotten since the start. 

 It is as if the body, neglected during the storm, suddenly makes comes to life again, with some basic requirements that you rediscover: eating and sleeping. They also start to think of themselves and want to give themselves a treat. There's nothing better than a chicken curry before taking a quiet nap.

This need to recover is as much physical as in the mind. It is trying to find peace.  Three days ago, they were at war with bangs and knocks, the fear of breaking something or having an accident.

From the comfort of our home or office, living in this giant shaker swept by tons of water, seems to require superhuman efforts, but the human body has an amazing ability to do what is necessary: to carry on functioning. To just act and react, forgetting the time, hunger, sleep, tiredness and pain.

Just like stone-age man, who had to defend himself to survive, we still have within us these reflexes, which help us overcome these stressful situations.

There is adrenaline. When survival is a question of seconds, its instantaneous secretion accelerates the vital responses, which are automatically controlled by the brain.  Endorphins anaesthetise painful and paralysing signals.  It is only much later, when the pain returns, that we understand their importance, which we tend to forget.

Sometimes the extremity of the body's reaction is such that you wake up the following morning with jaundice or white hair.

At sea, during these periods of bad weather, stress, which is more gradual lasts longer. Corticoids replace adrenaline to allow the body to work beyond its normal pattern. This is a natural, magic potion, so we can understand their attraction for cheating sportsmen.

These natural hormones acting against stress increase our resistance to sleep, making the assimilation of food easier, adding energy to muscles and the brain, while making us more alert and fully awake. Physical performance is better and your perceptions are faster and clearer.  Taking a decision is thus accelerated and is immediate.

In nasty sea conditions, everything becomes complicated. Imagine simply moving around inside this large cabin that is empty to save weight.  Thrown around all over the place, each movement requires you to plan beforehand to anticipate where you are going and what you will hold.  Tiring. At night, it is even worse.

There were some small injuries and bruises, but nothing very serious, probably because of this "good" stress.

Then there is "bad" stress, the stress, which paralyses you, as the anxiety overwhelms you and blocks the minds.  Used to life in difficult conditions, the competitors know how to only experience "good" stress.

This state cannot however go beyond a few days without leading to exhaustion. The sources of corticoids can be used up.

So, in order to get back to a normal life, you take a short holiday, take some time out, enjoy the moment by contemplating the long wake disappearing over the waves or the top of the spinnaker touching the clouds. A nice piece of music to add some atmosphere. Quiet time.

Dr Jean-Yves CHAUVE

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