Vendée Globe

For many observers Sébastien Josse showed his true mettle and his potential in the last Vendée Globe when he finished in a brave fifth in his six year old VMI.

For the last month of his race he had to rely on limited power from his solar panels, since he could no longer start his engine to generate electrical power, but Jojo’s duel back up the Atlantic with Dominique Wavre, the advantage yo-yo’ing back and forth between the two, really kept the race alive.

Racing down the Atlantic from the start he was in contention, fast and smart enough to give some the of the newer boats a run for their money. He lost touch at times in the hard going in the first part of the Southern Ocean, scared himself – and others ashore – when he hit an iceberg and damaged his bowsprit – but fought resolutely in the top four until that slugging match almost to the finish.

Josse more than proved himself on that race, and since, when he skippered the young ABN AMRO 2 crew on the last Volvo Race to become the only person to have completed the Jules Verne, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe.

Since having to retire with severe mainsail damage when leading the Transat race in Mid May, Josse has logged many miles pushing the Farr designed BT, which is owned by Offshore Challenges.

“ Today we could go.” Josse remarks, “ We are just waiting for the start, I can go now. We have the food on board, the clothes, all we need is the gun. And the weather for the start.”
The Open 60 had to withdraw from her first two major races, but Josse has faith in their preparations and the boat:
“ We have a small problem during the Transat. It was a little bit tricky but it was not really a surprise because the boat had only been back in the water for ten days. After we came back we took the boat out the water in Lorient and just finished the boat the way we want it. Then, we put the boat back in the water and I have done a lot of sailing this summer. In total, probably 20-25,000 miles, so we have done a lot of sailing and with the other competitors like Virbac. We have never been scared to go out in strong conditions and push hard offshore, and so I have no worries about the boat.”
“ I think overall that the boat’s speed is average, but we see now that all the boats are very close together in speed, except Pindar. I am sure I know that it is faster than this boat. But I have no problem with that. We know that this Vendée Globe race is not just about speed but it is about finishing. I know with this boat that I can push to make the gap bigger if I have to.”
Small, wiry and naturally athletic, Jojo is no fan of the gym:
“ I do a lot of, not fitness work because I don’t like to be just in a room and press weights, but I swim twice a week, and I do a lot on the bike, I do a lot of windsurfing and a lot of other outdoor sports.”
“ From the last Vendée Globe I really learned that you have to finish the race. After that you can get the result, not try for the reverse. You can’t start and push really hard to be the first in the first or any part of the race and damage the boat, and you can’t finish."

"If they want they can push hard in the first bit, but I think that first part is nothing compared with the rest of race. You can be fifth or tenth in the south of South Africa, and be the first at Cape Horn, and even be tenth at Cape Horn and still be first, but the key is to be sailing with the main group.”

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