Arnaud, why did you choose Gérald?
Arnaud Boissières: “We got to know each other in the Figaro circuit in 2003, and since then we have often sailed together. Each year Gérald comes with me in at least one race, even if he still competes in the Figaro circuit. We’re great friends ashore and out on the water. We know what the other person is like, which means we can guess each other’s reactions as we face various situations.”

What are your impressions about the IMOCA line up after your training sessions in Port la Forêt?
AB: “We trained with Virbac-Paprec, PRB, Cheminées Poujoulat, Safran and Macif. These boats are much newer than Akena with very different designs, so it is not very easy to make any comparisons. Apart from the fact that I thought Vincent Riou’s crew on PRB was particularly incisive. Out of the thirteen IMOCA boats in the transatlantic race, we can all hope to be there in the top five, as the standard is very high. There are some great performers, but with some boats only recently launched, while others have undergone major changes shortly before the start and there are some crews that are not as experienced at working together as us. So to sum up, we can say that the line-up looks very balanced.”

With a few days to go to the start, how do you both feel?
AB: “We feel relaxed after preparing for a year. Recently with Jacques Guichard from North, we worked on the fine adjustments to our new mainsail for two days, then with Jean-Marie Dauris from the All4One team, who contributed his skills by looking at how the boat was prepared. We’ll be making the most of our advantage, which is that we know the boat perfectly and we can handle her just like a moped. Even if this double-handed transatlantic race is a step towards the Vendée Globe, this is the major challenge for 2011 and we’re ready to go on the attack.”

How do you feel about the pairing of Boissières and Akena for your second Vendée Globe?
AB: “With my new boat, for my next Vendée Globe I will be much more competitive and it will be less of an adventure than the last race. But aboard this boat, which offers a better performance, the famous saying that if you want to have a good Vendée Globe you first have to finish the race, remains true. The most important aspect is still reliability and that’s what we’re striving to ensure works in our favour. In terms of making her fast, we are continuing to reduce the weight of the boat. Our next sails will weigh 20% less than the previous ones and after the winter is over, we’ll have 20 kg less for the engine. As for my strategy, it is still the same, as the goal is to sail the boat home and do better than last time and then get ready for the following Vendée Globe.”