Vendée Globe

Yves Parlier has come along to Les Sables d’Olonne to offer support to Yannick Bestaven, who took over his monohull for this sixth Vendée Globe. He examines the amazing number of design changes that have been made over the past four years, noticing how there is a trend towards power…

We're on board your former Aquitaine Innovations monohull…
« Aquarelle.com is indeed my old boat, which is going to be sailed in this Vendée Globe by Yannick Bestaven. She's a monohull I know well: I stepped in as a consultant during her refit. Yannick has also made changes to the keel bulb and has changed the mast to make the boat even lighter. The sail plan has changed too with a shorter boom and a square-top mainsail to have the same sail area but fewer worries when gybing. To make it easier to right the boat, if she turns over, the team has added a compartment lengthwise in the sail locker. But I still recognise my boat: I sailed on her this summer and I would love to be setting out aboard her for another Vendée Globe!»

In comparison to the new boats, does she remain competitive?
«There have been a lot of design changes since the launch of Aquitaine Innovations in 1995, but she is still a great boat, and above all, she is easier to handle than the new generation, which sports more sail and has a very high return force. While it is true that upwind and reaching, the newer boats will be faster, when you are sailing alone around the world, it's not the same problem: Aquarelle.com remains a serious contender… »

What do you think are the major trends in this sixth Vendée Globe?
«The trend is to come up with hulls that glide along even more with wide beams, flat shapes, similar to surfboards. The boats have become wider in the beam, and are therefore more powerful for a weight that is more or less the same. The increase in power comes to around 30% to 40%! While these boats are faster, they require you to luff more downwind to get them up to their best speed, which means changing the trajectory. They are therefore fitted with flatter downwind sails and with gennakers instead of spinnakers, rather like multihulls… »

Where exactly do you see the improvements?
«Everything has been improved. There are therefore more devices on the deck to adjust the sails more precisely, in particular, downwind with outriggers to widen the shroud base. The sides of the hull at the bow are fitted with raised sections, which deflect the water to ease the pressure on the hull. The size of the deck fittings has grown to decrease the efforts required from the solo sailor… »

You favoured lightweight boats and simplicity. Which of the boats in les Sables d’Olonne is closest to that philosophy?
«On a solo round the world voyage, we're talking about a pairing of a boat and a skipper. Depending on the size of the sailor, you can more or less increase the power, but it is also the preparation time that determines how sophisticated the boat can be. It is a compromise, but historically powerful boats have always had the advantage. At a given time, you reach the limits, but the trend is towards increasing the potential.»

Power does however require a lot of physical work, a lot of hard manoeuvres?
«You have to be up there with your boat. In a Vendée Globe, it is better to sail on a less powerful monohull at 100% all the time throughout the round the world voyage, than on a very powerful boat where the skipper is unable to take advantage continually of that potential.»

Which boat would you have come up with?
«I'd take the lightest and most powerful! It is the ratio of weight to power that is important in a round the world voyage on a monohull… »

With four days to go to the start, how do you see the first miles of the race?
«They are going to have to leave the Bay of Biscay upwind: the new prototypes will have an advantage. However, experienced solo sailors will find it easier to move away from the real potential of the boat. You should never set out feeling tired or stressed… Preparing for a Vendée Globe is something that is highly complicated. The start is not going to be easy. But as soon as the skippers are able to ease out the sheets, things should return to an equal footing. Particularly, if the weather is as quiet as predicted after Cape Finisterre.»

How long do you think they will take to reach the finish, based on the idea that there have been improvements of more than 10% in performance levels?

«There are several factors, which influence the race time: the skippers have made considerable progress in recent years, the boats are faster, but above all, there are more competitive monohulls: That is going to encourage all the sailors to push harder. The pace of the race is going to be very high, especially early on, when people are looking to make their getaway. The cream will rise to the top, as some will want to ease off a bit. The pressure and determination are so great, and there is so much at stake in a race, which only happens every four years that everyone is going to find it difficult to limit themselves… Everything is in place to see the bar fall to below eighty days.»

Are you giving any weather advice to Yannick Bestaven before the start?
«I built up some experience of the far south on my three Vendée Globes, while Yannick is a rookie: as we previously did on the Mini Transat, we will be revising together and I'll give him a few tips about the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

What are you doing for the moment?
«I'm working on a catamaran with a step, which is pulled along by a kitewing. We're based on the étang de Berre (West of Marseilles): we're learning a lot, and reaching some incredible speeds and enjoying ourselves.»
 

Interview with DBo

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