Maël Garnier – Cat Hunt: “On board, everything is in English!”
- Antoine Grenapin
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
WORDS OF DUOS. Maël Garnier has set himself a double challenge . Two years after his first participation in the Transat Paprec, the skipper is back to do better (he finished 7th with Julia Courtois) and… To perfect his English. He has teamed up with Cat Hunt, a 26-year-old professional sailor and accomplished racer. The two sailors have fine-tuned their understanding, at sea and on land, in order to gain momentum and present themselves as solid outsiders. For his final season in the Figaro with his current sponsors (Selencia – Cerfrance), Maël Garnier intends to give it his all. He spoke about this new challenge.
You already participated in the Transat Paprec two years ago. Was it important to come back?
Yes, absolutely. It was my first transatlantic race, my first mixed Figaro race. Upon arrival, I didn't want to stop there. My goal was to do the Solitaire at least two years in a row (2024, 2025). Here we are, it's my last season with my current partners, so I'm keen to do well. At the Transat Paprec, I came back with performance goals more than learning ones.
What has changed in two years?
I feel better prepared, more at ease, more comfortable, and stronger too. I learned what it was like to spend more than 15 days on board. It's a very demanding boat, which gets wet a lot, and on which you sleep very little. In a double-handed boat, you have to have an even more consistent rhythm to maintain the rotation between the two skippers. This year, I'm coming back with more confidence, more control, and more anticipation, especially when it comes to fatigue.
“We’re heading towards the sun, towards a paradise island, and it’s a dream!”
How did the duo with Catherine Hunt form?
We met in Lorient through Marcus Hutchinson. She came to do the FigarArmor a year ago. I had seen her perform in the Figaro since 2020, she had experience, she's a fine technician at the helm... We hit it off. I did a small casting in the fall and quickly chose Catherine. She came with a serious and professional approach, real availability, and desire. And it gives me the opportunity to get back to English, even though I stopped studying... It forces us to make an effort to communicate!
So on board, it's 100% in English?
Yes, everything is in English! (laughs). The idea is to speak it all the time on board, showing him that I'm making that effort.
What are the ingredients for performing well in the Transat Paprec?
I think that above all, you need great chemistry between the two crew members. The moment you hand over the helm to the other, you hand over your race too, so everyone needs to be comfortable. It's important to prepare early too. Beyond the duo on the boat, you have to build something sincere and close to be ready to spend more than two weeks with the other. It's important to become friends going into the race.
Where do you get your fun?
From the moment you've eliminated all the distractions around you, you've stocked up properly, and you're happy with your preparation. You get it from the village, where all you have to do is plan the strategy, the weather, and be aligned on the same objectives at the start. And you'll continue to get your fun when the boat starts to slide along. We're heading towards the sun, towards a paradise island and it's a dream!
