This morning Ellen MacArthur, who was the runner-up in the 2000 Vendée Globe, was back in Les Sables d'Olonne paying a visit to the pontoons in Port Olona. She talked on this morning's Live from the Pontoons radio show and gave us her impressions of this year's Vendée Globe.

« This year has been the first time I've really been able to look around. I can really take in everything and experience it for myself. It's absolutely amazing what is happening here. The Vendée Globe changes from year to year, but there's always one thing that remains and that is the adventure. It's what makes the event what it is. Yes, it's a race, yes, it's fast, yes, the boats are becoming better and better, but at the same time, it is still a round the world voyage. As a human being, you cannot go any further on the sea. It is also a dream. Already, if you manage to finish, it's an achievement, so racing around at full speed is something else! Even if it remains a top level competition, they are still going into the middle of nowhere. Everyone looking at the boats here has the same feeling.»

Memories of the race
«For me, the Vendée Globe is a long story, which begins from the outset, when you are looking for a partner and only ends, when you cross the finishing line. It's difficult to look at just one part. The thing I remember most is the fear before the start. In 2000, the start was delayed, as the forecast was for sixty knots, which is quite a storm. That was tough, because deep down, you want to get going. You have such a fear inside you that you just want to be at sea. It was a real mixture of feelings.»


The boats
«As in all sports, there is progress each year. The boats are getting better and better, but at the same time getting closer and closer to the edge, so there is the risk of breakage. As it's a round the world race, you have to finish to win.»


BT and Sébastien
«We really love our boat, as this is the first time we have built our own. We wanted to be there from the first piece of carbon to the last. We raised her like our own baby. We designed her in collaboration with Farr, then set up our own yard and fifteen of us set about building her. The result is that we know the boat extremely well and have every confidence in her.(...) As for Sébastien Josse, I have a lot of respect for him, as we've known each other for ten years. He has a wealth of experience: he has already done the Vendée Globe, knows the tune, knows what it is like to be alone for so long.»


Current work
«I spend a lot of my turn on environmental work. When I sailed around the world, I became aware of a lot of things. Aboard a boat, you have to ration your resources, because they are limited and you live differently. It's vastly different when you are ashore. At sea, you are completely dependent on the wind and nature. Those, who are at one with the elements, are the ones that win. When you are ashore, you are completely cut off from that. We no longer feel dependent on nature, while in fact, it is the basis of life itself.»


One more time?
«Yes. I'd really love to do the Vendée Globe again. For the moment, my work on the environment is more important to me. But when I see all these boats, I really feel like doing it again. Maybe four years from now...»

Pierre-Louis Castelli and Frédéric Ottenhof will be broadcasting their final show live from the Vendée Globe pontoons tomorrow (Saturday), when they will be talking to three previous competitors, who are now spectators, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, Hervé Laurent and Patrice Carpentier. They will also be hearing from Sébastien Josse with 24 hours to go to the start and will finish with an interview with Philippe de Villiers, President of the Vendée Council and the SEM Vendée, which organises the Vendée Globe.

Kito de Pavant was extremely relaxed this morning at his press conference. Under a barrage of questions from journalists, the skipper from France's Mediterranean coast talked about how he will be tackling his first Vendée Globe….

His boat: «She corresponds exactly to what I was looking for. I believe that a boat, which is light is easier to handle than a powerful boat. I think to sail quickly, you also need to be able to do it for a long time… »

Kito and the cold weather: «Like all Southerners, I need to be warm. Apart from my fleeces, in order to to save energy, I've gone for a heat pad. My seat is fitted with an element which warms my back. Not to be confused with an electric chair.... »

Talking about the three months of sailing with the cow on his sail: «I love that cow. She laughs all the time and as I'm someone, who is naturally happy, that suits me fine. Besides, my cow is so big that in the end I'll not even notice her… »

Talking about his experience of IMOCA boats: «I'm a rookie in the Vendée Globe. That's a drawback, as I know I lack experience in those seas. But at the same time, it may be an advantage, as I don't know what to expect down there. When you have no idea what you'll be facing, you can't feel apprehensive. As for IMOCA sailing, I was lucky enough to sail twice with Jean Le Cam in the Transat Jacques Vabre and I learnt a lot from him.»

Each day from 11 to noon (French time), Pierre-Louis Castelli and Frédéric Ottenhof bring you interviews from down on the Vendée Globe pontoons. Today (Friday), they will be talking to Ellen MacArthur, the designer Pascal Conq, Patricia Brochard (Sodeb’O) as well as Mike Golding (Ecover), Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) and Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) in the company of the award-winning French author, Erik Orsenna.

Since her relaunch, Alex Thomson's monohull has been carefully examined by the shore team to check for any collateral damage from the collision with a fishing boat. Thus the mainsail halyard has been changed, as wear was detected: « Following the sea trials we were able to confirm that structurally HUGO BOSS is fine. The issue with the halyard only came to light after some time on the water sailing, and fortunately for us, we were able to get the boat out sailing in enough time to identify the issue,»explained the operations manger, Harry McGougan.

 The alloy chaff plate within the HUGO BOSS mast, was corroded from the time the mast spent on the sea bed, following the collision. This corrosion was causing chaffing to the main halyard inside the mast. Continuously for 15 hours (throughout last night), the team devised a shift system to hoist the halyard up and down the mast, a total of 1800 times. This has effectively smoothed the corroded area.

«Until the incident with the fishing vessel, I felt as prepared as I have ever been for a race. I felt physically strong, mentally ready and after completing the Barcelona World Race in second position and breaking the world distance record - I felt I had a strong chance of becoming the first British skipper to win the Vendée. Since the accident – all I have been able to think and focus on is getting HUGO BOSS repaired in time for the Vendée start,» explained Alex Thomson.

Jean-Pierre Dick was the first solo sailor to work with the American Bruce Farr design team. In 2003, he had Virbac-Paprec built and won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005 on her. Since then, Bernard Stamm has bought the monohull and he updated her this winter. However, for the ex-vet, in no way are technical innovations the most important thing: «Design choices and technological developments are a plus, but they are not everything. Paprec-Virbac 2 features two major innovations (trim tab and strakes, editor) which should give me that little bit extra over the competition. However, I am convinced that on such a route, it's what's going on in the mind of the sailor that makes all the difference: the human aspect dominates. Motivation and determination can be found throughout this project from the design and build stage and during the race itself. These are the key elements in such an event, which is won over several years on land as well as at sea.»