Roland Jourdain, the skipper of Veolia Environnement invited us to the premises in Concarneau for an interview, as he prepared his meals for three months at sea…
With a month and a half to go to the start of the Vendée Globe, what stage are the boat and skipper at?
We should be trying out the new sails in the next few days, but they are not so different from the ones we checked in the races before the race around the world. I’m taking care of the food for the Vendée Globe and my shore team is looking after the chests of spares that will go on board. When I started out on the last two occasions, I was nowhere near as advanced as this in the preparation! There are still the final adjustments to the electronics and we need to look over the software: it’s more or less a period of ongoing checks. With all my experience, I can say that the problems often happen three weeks before the start… However, this time, we were able to examine things in depth.»
What about your personal jobs? Are you involved in all these checks?
«I’ll be out sailing on Veolia Environnement in the last week of September to test all the new sails. Then, there will be a few final sea trials, before heading off to Les Sables d’Olonne for mid-October. I don’t think I’ll be going far: I’ll be staying at home with the family for a final get together in the country, away from the town and close to the sea… As I have a friend, who is an osteopath who will be there, as well as an expert in acupuncture, I’ll take advantage of that to have myself checked over once more.»
This will be the third time you set sail in a Vendée Globe race: what has changed over the years in this preparation phase?
«For my first Vendée Globe, the boat wasn’t really ready! We were pushed for time, but I was young and crazy… Things went relatively well: it was like a first parachute jump! For the last race back in 2004, we were even more behind schedule, as the boat was launched late and we had problems with the keel… This time, we were a bit behind plan last year with a change of partner, some major work scheduled and the Barcelona Race, which finished with us dismasting off the Kerguelens… I took part in this two-handed race, because I wanted to be inoculated against the far south.»
Did this damage upset your plans at all?
«I wanted to go from one trip to another and also take part in the Artemis Transat: that wasn’t possible. That has meant a year of fairly calm preparation. I have sailed less than usual, but sailing is a bit like riding a bike! You can always get back on the saddle after a break… However, that has enabled me to focus on lots of details two month ahead of the race and that’s a good thing too.»
This will be your fifth circumnavigation after two crewed Whitbread races?
«Yes, but on the last two occasions, it all came to an end in the Indian Ocean! It’s time I made it across the Pacific… It’s something you never tire of, but when you’re out there you want to get out of there as quickly as possible! It’s strange and a bit of a paradox: you always feel like going back. From a psychoanalyst’s point of view it’s very interesting! But personally, I haven’t had enough of it. The day I don’t feel like it, I’ll move on to something else. If you want to sail around the world, you need to go through there… It’s great to enter and even greater to leave behind! What is the most important thing? The race and winning or sailing around the world on an unusual route: for me the two things go together.»
We should be trying out the new sails in the next few days, but they are not so different from the ones we checked in the races before the race around the world. I’m taking care of the food for the Vendée Globe and my shore team is looking after the chests of spares that will go on board. When I started out on the last two occasions, I was nowhere near as advanced as this in the preparation! There are still the final adjustments to the electronics and we need to look over the software: it’s more or less a period of ongoing checks. With all my experience, I can say that the problems often happen three weeks before the start… However, this time, we were able to examine things in depth.»
What about your personal jobs? Are you involved in all these checks?
«I’ll be out sailing on Veolia Environnement in the last week of September to test all the new sails. Then, there will be a few final sea trials, before heading off to Les Sables d’Olonne for mid-October. I don’t think I’ll be going far: I’ll be staying at home with the family for a final get together in the country, away from the town and close to the sea… As I have a friend, who is an osteopath who will be there, as well as an expert in acupuncture, I’ll take advantage of that to have myself checked over once more.»
This will be the third time you set sail in a Vendée Globe race: what has changed over the years in this preparation phase?
«For my first Vendée Globe, the boat wasn’t really ready! We were pushed for time, but I was young and crazy… Things went relatively well: it was like a first parachute jump! For the last race back in 2004, we were even more behind schedule, as the boat was launched late and we had problems with the keel… This time, we were a bit behind plan last year with a change of partner, some major work scheduled and the Barcelona Race, which finished with us dismasting off the Kerguelens… I took part in this two-handed race, because I wanted to be inoculated against the far south.»
Did this damage upset your plans at all?
«I wanted to go from one trip to another and also take part in the Artemis Transat: that wasn’t possible. That has meant a year of fairly calm preparation. I have sailed less than usual, but sailing is a bit like riding a bike! You can always get back on the saddle after a break… However, that has enabled me to focus on lots of details two month ahead of the race and that’s a good thing too.»
This will be your fifth circumnavigation after two crewed Whitbread races?
«Yes, but on the last two occasions, it all came to an end in the Indian Ocean! It’s time I made it across the Pacific… It’s something you never tire of, but when you’re out there you want to get out of there as quickly as possible! It’s strange and a bit of a paradox: you always feel like going back. From a psychoanalyst’s point of view it’s very interesting! But personally, I haven’t had enough of it. The day I don’t feel like it, I’ll move on to something else. If you want to sail around the world, you need to go through there… It’s great to enter and even greater to leave behind! What is the most important thing? The race and winning or sailing around the world on an unusual route: for me the two things go together.»
