DWM - EN - Newsletter #18

Ne wsle t ter 26/04/2012 #18

e globe _ “ our vendé begin! ” training can be 2000 - 2012 : _ Vendée glo world race a round the nce with a differe programme _ an intense

-“our vendée globe training-programme can begin!”-

Mirabaud has been undergoing improvements at the La Rochelle boat yard since Dominique Wavre and his delivery crew returned to France after the Transat Jacques Vabre. Over the course of the winter, the team has focussed on adapting the yacht to single-handed sailing with all the necessary safety and ergonomic features this discipline requires – all of which should significantly improve the yacht’s performance ahead of the start of the Vendee Globe in the Sables d’Olonne on the 10 November.

“The most notable addition is the spray dodger that will protect me from the worst of the weather and allow me to adjust the trim without having to put on foul weather gear each time. I can go on deck regularly and quickly without being too exposed,” explains the skipper. “It is built of composites and weighs in at just 30kg. It’s an excellent addition to the boat; it looks good, is well made and will be very useful.

2 www.dominiquewavre.com

“We have also installed a tiller instead of the usual double wheel so that I can steer and trim at the same time. [This new layout will also allow Dominique to stack sails at the back of the boat if necessary.]

“And finally we have installed a bucket seat inside the boat so that I can rest while staying close to the instruments and manoeuvres. We have improved and modified lots of small details, mainly related to boat handling – what might seem easy with a crew is very complex when you are doing it alone.

“We are currently adding the final touches before the rig goes back in over the next few days. I hope to be sailing again by the beginning of May.”

Vendee Globe 2000-2012: a round the world race with a difference Dominique Wavre raced his first Vendee Globe in 2000; this year’s edition will be his fourth single-handed round the world race.

In the 12 years of this event, the skippers, the yachts, the navigation systems and the Vendee Globe have all evolved. Dominique gives some insight on the main changes.

The skipper “When I raced my first Vendee Globe in 2000, the primary goal was to finish. The previous race in 1996 had been rife with tragedy, sailors had drowned and emotions were running high.

Today all this has changed. The organisers prioritise safety and the Vendee Globe has become a fully-fledged race as opposed to an adventure.

The competition is very physical, but also technical and tactical and these are the elements that I am focussing my preparations on.”

The sailor’s job “The Vendee will always be the Vendee and sailing will always be at the heart of it, but over the years the sailor’s job has evolved enormously, a lot more is expected of us, particularly in terms of communication. Nowadays in addition to sailing we have to take photographs, film and do videoconferences, and the resulting exposure for the event organisers and for our partners contributes to professionalising the sport.”

The yachts “There hasn’t been a revolution, but rather an incalculable number of small evolutions, which have vastly improved the performance of these yachts, making them much more physically demanding.

The systems that we use to sail the boats have also evolved a lot: the autopilots, for example, are more precise, react faster and are more reliable – meaning that we can go faster.”

www.dominiquewavre.com 3

The race “In the early days of the Vendee Globe, the organiser, Philippe Jeantot, also competed – he prioritised the safety of the competitors. Today, the organisation is professional and the event runs more smoothly, but its objectives are different: the organisers prioritise their own safety. The Notice of Race has grown from 20 pages to 50 and the lawyers check everything. This is the reason that we now have ice gates, for example. The race has become more competitive, but has lost a bit of its adventurous side.”

Conclusion “Everything has changed: the budgets, the boat performance, the level and the outcome. To conclude, preparing for the Vendee Globe has also changed, it is much more complex and professional and preparations need to start much earlier before the start of the race.”

An intense programme From the beginning of May, Dominique Wavre will be following an intensive training regime. “To start with our goal will be to optimise the modifications made over the winter,” he explains. “Then phase two will be to test all the sails and all their possible configurations in different wind and sea conditions. Then it will be time to work on specific boat handling. We will keep a log with a precise

training programme and a list of manoeuvres that need work in order of priority. And finally, the long term plan – between now and the summer I mean – is to work on our polars, the goal being to know exactly which sail to use at what boat and wind speed. We will also use all this time on the water to tune the autopilot, which is the most important tool during a round the world race.”

www.dominiquewavre.com

Mirabaud & Cie Banquiers Privés Laurent Koutaïssoff 29, boulevard Georges-Favon 1204 Genève T: +41 58 816 23 90 M: +41 79 786 78 93

MaxComm Communication Bernard Schopfer T: +41 22 735 55 30 M: +41 79 332 11 76 bernard.schopfer@maxcomm.ch

Crédits photos Thierry Martinez/Mirabaud Wavre/Paret