Behind the scenes of the last day
- Antoine Grenapin
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tomorrow, it will already be time to cast off and launch this long sprint across the Atlantic. But first, you have to be patient, forget nothing, study the weather, pay attention to the last details, and try to save as much energy as possible... The story of a special day, under the Concarneau sun, before it all begins.
There comes a time in ocean racing when everything is "last": last day, last briefing, last dinner, last evening, last breakfast, last "goodbye." When you set off for twenty days at sea and to cross the Atlantic, you realize that nothing is trivial, that everyday life will change at 1:02 p.m. on Sunday, and that only the race will matter for nearly three weeks.
“We’re counting the sleeps!”
For most skippers on the eve of the race, enthusiasm is the main factor. " I'm relaxed, but above all, I'm really happy to be going; the excitement is replacing the stress ," smiles Victor Le Pape (Brittany Region – CMB Espoir). " It's like when you're a kid, you count the sleeps until D-Day ." When it comes to sleep, Victor is looking forward to " sleeping well " and " getting to fall asleep early ," even if " the race is on your mind ."
" I sleep well at night, I'm lucky to have experience and know how to manage departures ," says Davy Beaudart (Hellowork). Jules Ducelier (Normandy Region) has no problem on this subject: "I especially try to anticipate when it comes to sleep because I know that once we're at sea, it won't be the same!" " The fact that the weather is mild tomorrow allows us to be more relaxed so we sleep better ," smiles Hugo Dhallenne (Skipper Macif).
"We try not to spread ourselves too thin."
Yet, the race is never far away. Hugo explains that he " takes naps to start breaking up his sleep" in order to be ready to start the watches from the start . And among the skippers, nothing was neglected during this final day. " We try to have a reverse schedule so as not to spread ourselves too thin and to keep some recovery time ," confides Lola Billy (Bretagne CMB-Océane Region).
There is, however, one obligatory step: the weather briefings. The race management briefing is held at 5:00 p.m., and several skippers follow another, like those at the Pôle Finistère Course au large. This also allows you to gradually "get into your own bubble ." Thomas André, partnered with Cindy Brin aboard Cap St Barth, has a great image to describe it: " It's like a climber looking for his route. He looks at where his holds are, where to put his hands. We do a bit the same thing: depending on the routing, we imagine our choices, we project ourselves, and the route slowly infuses our minds ."
On the other hand, the skippers are not expected to be in the Transat Paprec village this Saturday evening for the Maracujah concert. Everyone preferred a much more studious evening. Charlotte Yven sums it up: " it will be a good meal and a good night before getting back into the routine of the start ." " We will spend some time with family, with loved ones and go to bed early, " says Lola Billy . Like all the participants who are also parents, Cindy Brin was especially looking forward to " spending time with her children ." The native of Saint-Barthélemy adds: " I won't be seeing them for almost three weeks, I want to be with them fully! " And Arno Biston (Article.1) concludes: " we will also slowly start saying our 'goodbyes' to family and loved ones ."
