DWM - EN - Newsletter #20

Ne wsle t ter 26/06/2012 #20

SCAN & LOOK!

et: _ Michele Par l “It’s a natura transition” end _ A busy week in Geneva national _ A very inter Vendee Globe

Michele Paret: “It’s a natural transition”

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aving adapted the boat to single-handed racing after a two year stint of double-handed competition that included the 2010/11 Barcelona World Race and the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre, Mirabaud is ready for the Vendee Globe, one of the toughest races in our sport: an around the world, alone, without stops or outside assistance.

difications: “The most spectacular change is the spray dodger, it doesn’t impact the performance, but it will help Dominique a lot to rest. It will be a major asset, especially in the Southern Ocean.

We also made a hundred and one little changes to lots of different areas and the results are excellent,” she added.

Adapting is not exclusive to the boat; the crew must also adjust to operating alone and Dominique Wavre and Michele Paret are sharing the tasks accordingly. “It’s a natural transition,” explains Michele, “The moment we returned from the Transat Jacques Vabre, we went straight into the yard and got to work on the boat with the Vendee Globe in mind. I focused on the technical side while Dominique concentrated on performance. It’s quite normal: I want my man to come home safely from this around the world… and he wants to win!”

Dominique’s primary objectives are to sail as much as possible, to work on boat handling and to fine tune. “I watch, take notes, time him and film him, but I don’t actively take part in the boat handling,” explains Michele. “When we get back to base, we debrief and we look for ways of improving and accelerating the manoeuvres. This is how we progress. In August we will do a 2000nm offshore testing session. It will be a holiday for me; I won’t have much to do…”she says with a grin that suggests that her notepad and chronometer won’t be far away. “Dominique on the other hand, will be in Vendee Globe mode and will be working hard. Our objective will be to go hunting

Both are very happy with the yard work and mo2 www.dominiquewavre.com

A busy weekend in Geneva Antonio Palma, CEO and partner of Mirabaud, with Dominique Wavre during the 74th Bol d’Or Mirabaud gala evening.

for low pressures, either in the north or the south, it will depend on the weather.”

Michele has been Dominique’s co-skipper these last two years, but she is enjoying her new role – one that she knows inside out having done it three times before – and is well placed to assess her skipper. “He is true to himself and serene. We used to share these moments together, but now it is starting to feel like he is becoming one with his boat; he is heading for the start line in a good space.” ■

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ominique returned to Geneva for the Bol d’Or Mirabaud last weekend as he does each year.

It is a great opportunity to see all the boats on the Lake, to see how they have evolved, but also to catch up with old friends and to experience the incredible spectacle!

Dominique kicked off the weekend with a debate on how professional sailing influences cruising, led by journalist Pierre-Antoine Preti that included Christian Wahl and the skipper of the Hungarian monohull Raffica (a future winner of the monohull class). The subject is close to Dominique’s heart.

Following the debate, Dominique joined the official opening dinner. The following day, he boarded the Montreux, Lake Geneva’s flagship, where he assisted Francois Egger with the commentary for the start of the race. “It was a real pleasure to see the boat from Geneva’s Training Centre (CER) at work,” he said. “As one of the >> www.dominiquewavre.com 3

>> founders of the School, I am happy and proud to see how successful the organisation has become.”

before presenting his campaign to the “Monday Club”. After sharing his Vendee Globe plans he set off for La Rochelle to get back to his boat and his training. ■

The Mirabaud skipper took part in the prize giving

A very international Vendee Globe

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f this year’s 19 Vendee Globe competitors, seven are foreign entries. The Vendee Globe, born in France, has never been won by a ‘foreigner’. Single-handed sailing has always tended to be a French discipline, but the ‘resistance’ is shaping up and we could well see a non-French winner this time round… and why not a Swiss champion?

unique race. For the non-French competitors the sporting preparation is longer as few of them have raced the formative Figaro class. What I have noticed however is that there are many repeat entries, once they have tried it, they keep coming back!” ■

The entries: There are five nationalities competing: 10 French, three British (Samantha Davies, Mike Golding and Alex Thomson), two Swiss (Bernard Stamm and Dominique Wavre), an Italian (Alessandro Di Benedetto) and a Spaniard (Javier Sanso).

As Denis Horeau, the race director explains: “We have 30 or 40% more foreigners on the start line this time round, they too are fascinated by this

Jean-Pierre Dick.................... FRA..........Virbac-Paprec Vincent Riou........................ FRA..........PRB Kito De Pavant................... FRA..........Groupe Bel Francois Gabart*................ FRA..........MACIF Jeremie Beyou..................... FRA..........Maître CoQ Armel Le Cleac’h................ FRA..........Banque Populaire Dominique Wavre............... SUI...........Mirabaud Samantha Davies................. GBR.........Saveol Alex THOMSON.................... GBR.........Hugo Boss Mike Golding..................... GBR.........Gamesa Marc Guillemot................. FRA..........Safran Arnaud Boissieres.............. FRA..........Akena Verandas Bernard Stamm................... SUI...........Cheminees Poujoulat Javier Sanso........................ ESP..........Acciona Alessandro Di Benedetto*.FRA / ITA...Team Plastique Jean Le Cam......................... FRA..........Synerciel Tanguy De Lamotte*......... FRA..........Initiatives coeur Louis Burton*.................... FRA..........Bureau Vallee Bertrand De Broc................ FRA..........Votre Nom autour * rookie du Monde

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 Marc Fries Wavre/Paret Joshua Schopfer