The Barcelona World Race marked the return of Jean Le Cam to IMOCA racing, two years after his Vendée Globe came to a sudden end. Unfortunately the double-handed round the world voyage was cut short for the skipper of Président and his fellow crewman Bruno Garcia, as they were victims of a dismasting eleven days into the race. But King Jean is ready to bounce back and is now focusing on his main goal: taking part for the third time in the Vendée Globe. He told us about his plans.
Jean, what lessons did you learn from your short time in the Barcelona World Race?
Jean Le Cam: “It is difficult to draw up any real conclusions after just ten days of racing. Overall, I was pleased with the performance of Président. We had a tricky voyage out of the Mediterranean, but we made up for that later on. Even if the boat was a little bit slower than the newer boats like Virbac-Paprec 3 and Foncia, she seemed to behave well. In light weather, she achieved the same speeds as Virbac-Paprec 3. I think that overall, the new boats have a bit of extra potential, in particular thanks to their light weight. In terms of our own performance, the Barcelona World Race can be seen as positive, as we got on very well with Bruno Garcia. We got the project ready together in Port-la-Forêt and then in Spain. He was an ideal co-skipper. Pity that the adventure didn’t last longer.”
Looking back, how do you explain the boat’s dismasting in conditions that were after all easy enough to deal with?
J.L.C : “To be honest, I don’t think we’ll ever find out the reason behind this dismasting. It may have been down to one part breaking, or the mast buckling... This type of accident is part of our job, and there’s nothing we can do about that (Editor’s note: this is the second time this boat has been dismasted in a round the world race after Mike Golding lost his mast in the last Vendée Globe).”
The Barcelona World Race goes on. What do you think about how the race is going?
J.L.C: “Virbac-Paprec 3 managed to get a huge lead over the rest of the fleet after Foncia was forced out. But we need to be cautious, as we’re talking about a round the world race. There is a long way to go and anything can happen. Behind Virbac and Mapfre, the battle between Estrella Damm and Groupe Bel (before they were forced to carry out a pit stop) will be very interesting to watch, as these boats are sailing in the same weather system and are fairly close to each other.”
How do you feel about the results obtained so far by the Spanish crews?
J.L.C: “I think that the arrival of the Spanish is very positive for the IMOCA class. They have invested a lot in this race and they deserve to be up there. More generally, I think that this internationalisation, which means we’re moving away from a purely French affair, is a good thing for the future.”
What is your programme for the months ahead?
J.L.C: “The plan to deliver the boat back to England is underway. I have to talk things through with Président about the possibility of continuing our partnership and focus on preparing for the Vendée Globe, which is my main objective!”
What timetable have you given yourself to get your project going with a partner?
J.L.C: “As soon as possible would be the best of course. I’d like to race in the Transat Jacques Vabre, as this is a good way to prepare. But that isn’t a vital element: with Bonduelle, we launched the boat five months before the start of the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe (Editor’s note: Jean Le Cam finished second in that race, less than seven hours behind the winner, Vincent Riou).”
