After coming third in the Route du Rhum a month ago, Marc Guillemot has just decided he would like to take part in what will be his second Vendée Globe with the Safran Group, renewing once again the mutual confidence that exists between them. “I was really privileged to be given the time to think things through. Setting off again for another campaign with people, who have never put the pressure on me is a privilege that I appreciate, as everything can be decided calmly. I really felt like giving it another go after the last Vendée Globe, but I wanted to be sure that I was really up for it and as keen to achieve something as before. In order to commit myself to this, I had to make sure that everything was clear in my family. The two conditions have been satisfied and so the decision was an easy one to take,” explained Marc Guillemot.

Trust and performance
Trust and performance remain therefore Marco’s watchwords: “Human relationships are a key element for me. Since the start of the partnership with Safran, we’ve had a lot of discussions with the designers at VPLP and Guillaume Verdier, with many of the engineers in the Group and with my team, which has made this project what it is, enabling us to continue the ongoing process of updating the Safran boat.”

Going beyond the regular repairs, the boat has undergone some major changes during her winter refits. The one that is about to begin will be particularly important: “Each year, we have a busy schedule: we have been fairly ambitious with the details and concerning every aspect, whether we are talking about weight savings, the improvement of the autopilots or changes to the rig. With this quest for performance, we wish to get Safran in shape for the next Vendée after the Europa Race and the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre,” concluded Marc Guillemot.