For Rich Wilson, the skipper of Great American III, there is another hot news story coinciding with this final week of preparations: the U.S presidential election, which takes place tomorrow (4th November).  Rich talked in French yesterday about his choice and desires for his country in a short interview, which you can listen to in the Media Library (audio).

 

Before the start: « The three-week time period in Les Sables d'Olonne is starting to drag on a bit. It’s a bit like going on holiday.  The more time you have to get ready, the more you keep adding to the suitcase!”  ».
His preparation: «To be honest I am definitely not as well prepared. I think we’d done more sailing before the last time round, and the time before, so consequently I felt more at home with the boat than I do right now.»
His 60-foot boat: «This boat has been a bit of a bugger since the beginning. Someone asked me the other day: do you treat your boat like a person or a tool? I had to admit it was more like a tool. This boat is definitely in the tool department but hopefully it will do a good job for me and I suppose I might grow to like it more as time goes on.  I don’t think I’ll ever fall in love with her but hopefully we can make friends. Right now we’re not hitting it off, at all »
An upwind start? «This, I have to say, I wouldn’t mind at all because I think we are quite well placed for those conditions and she’ll [Ecover] do a good job.  The strengths of the Owen Clark designs are upwind and downwind. Reaching is our weakest point of sailing so I know I’ll have to work hard to hold my own reaching, harder than others I think.»

Yannick Bestaven: "This was the number of Yves Parlier's Aquitaine Innovations. Yves has supported me a lot in this project, so there was no way I was going to change the number..."

Cheminées Poujoulat was actually christened  by Jean-Pierre Dick ien 2004 and her name has not been changed: «He named her «Absolute Dreamer» and I don't have the courage to change her name, as that is said to be unlucky!» explained Bernard Stamm.

1000 is the number displayed by Marc Thiercelin's Finot-Conq designed DCNS. It refers to the social policy included within his partnership project.  1000 is the number of young job applicants, who will be going through a training course with DCNS.

Five skippers requested permission to leave harbour today to test sails, electronics, rigging, communications systems… or simply for a jaunt with guests: Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com), Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat), Steve White (Spirit of Weymouth), Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) and Sébastien Josse (BT).