What lessons have you learnt from the Barcelona World Race, which you were forced to retire from after losing your mast on the way back up the South Atlantic?

Dominique Wavre: “I had to retire after completing three quarters of the race with the major difficulties behind us. That is bound to be rather frustrating. On the other hand, it was a great race and I really enjoyed sailing with Michèle (Paret – editor’s note). Looking back on it, the overall result was quite satisfying. The boat sailed well in the Mediterranean and all the way down the Atlantic. Afterwards, we had a few problems, which meant we dropped back. That was a pity as the standard was exceptionally high and the race was exhilarating for us. More generally, I’m pleased that the IMOCA class managed to get such a fine line-up in place at the start of this race. It’s interesting to see how this race fits in so well in the calendar alternating every two years with the Vendée Globe, as the way of sailing in these races is very different.”

What do you think about the performance of your boat, which underwent a lot of improvements after the last Vendée Globe?

D.W: “Before the last refit, the boat didn’t cope so well in certain points of sail. The work we carried out means she is a better all-round performer. If we leave to one side the dismasting, the boat in general has shown that she is solid and reliable. But the more recent boats impressed me. They were extremely well sailed by their crews and managed to keep up some very high average speeds, in particular broad reaching.”

The foreign crews did particularly well in this double-handed round the world race. How do you feel about their performance?

D.W: “The internationalisation of the IMOCA class is not something we just conjured up, but a reality even at the highest standard. I’m really pleased about that as we’ve been fighting hard for a long time to ensure that the class attracts major international sponsors and racers from various backgrounds, including former Volvo and America’s Cup sailors. Solo racing has always tended to be a French speciality, while crewed racing has attracted the English speakers. In double-handed racing, they don’t feel as timid about how to handle these boats and we were able to see that they did remarkably well. That only goes to make the race that much more interesting.”

You are planning to take part in your fourth Vendée Globe in 2012. What exactly attracts you to this race?

D.W: “I’ve always enjoyed round the world races. My fascination with the Southern Ocean helps explain my desire to take part in these races and the Vendée Globe in particular. I love the fast sailing that is possible in the winds in the Southern Ocean. More generally, I enjoy simply being at sea. It’s one of the enjoyable times in my life.”

As you look forward to the Vendée Globe, you are going to be lining up at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre this autumn. The race is on for you to be ready on time...

D.W: It’s true we won’t have much time to prepare and fine tune the boat, as we’ll be getting our new mast in late August-early September. So we won’t be sailing before mid-September and we’re going to have to get a move on to deliver her to Le Havre to be there at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre (which starts on 30th October, editor’s note). The clock is ticking.”

You signed up not that long ago with a new partner, Mirabaud. That’s a good thing thing for you in terms of your preparation and ensuring you get the most out of the boat…
 

D.W: “It’s extremely important. If you have a long-term sponsor, it means you can prepare calmly for your race programme, and carry out technical improvements over time. We were indeed very lucky to find Mirabaud at the right time, in spite of the difficult economic climate. They looked at this from a long-term perspective and understood that you have to keep moving forward even in a time of crisis. In France, a certain number of big companies are already involved in sailing sponsorships. So that means that a lot of the potential sponsors are already active. That’s why some sailors , who deserve to be there, still haven’t been able to find partners.”