3 weeks in the village before 3 months alone at sea

The Vendée Globe Village officially opens in Les Sables d'Olonne © Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI / Vendée Globe

They all jumped into the atmosphere and excitement in the Vendée Globe Village, and are busy with interviews, autograph sessions, visits from sponsors, while everyone wants to shake their hand. "We're going to have to be careful, as we're going to miss this, when we're out at sea," Kito de Pavant said yesterday on the pontoon. How do the skippers cope during this period? What do they do each day? How do they get any rest? When will they really enter their own little world as an ocean racer? The sailors told us about what their current life is like in amongst the crowds.

Some are busy dealing with final details, making adjustments, because they struggled to find the time or money. Then there are others, who manage to get away from it all to get some rest, as their boat is fully ready with everything sorted. The Swiss sailor Alan Roura (La Fabrique) is one for whom these final three weeks feel much too short: "We've still got plenty to do to be ready for the start. I won't have much time for anything else. I'm going to be busy working on the boat.". Jean Le Cam (Finistère Mer Vent) also got his funding together late on and is taking advantage of these final days to work on the technical aspects: "There's no time for taking it easy. It's been a year that I haven't had time for that."

With a million visitors in the Village in 2012, the Vendée Globe is the only sailing event like this with fans, tourists, the general public getting so close to sailors, boats and teams. The pontoon has been full since the boats arrived last Thursday. The sailors take that into account. "It's a time when we get together with the public and sponsors and we all enjoy it," said Jean-Pierre Dick (StMichel-Virbac). Vincent Riou (PRB) also makes the most of this period: he will be talking to 350 clients of PRB about his passion for racing alone around the world, which he is doing for the fourth time: "This is how our projects work. We want to see everyone here, our supporters, we have to share this passion for the Vendée Globe with them." Each sailor has a carefully drawn up schedule organised by their press attaché or by a member of their family, to allow them to get a little time to breathe. "I have some slots in the morning and evening, so I can go surfing, swimming or jogging. I'm trying to keep to my routine," explained Sébastien Josse (Edmond de Rothschild). Yann Eliès (Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir) is never without his Figaro or his surfboard either. At 8 on Sunday morning, he was out there surfing and hopes to get in two or three sessions on his Figaro Bénéteau 2 to stay in contact with the sea and the elements.

While Jérémie Beyou (Maître CoQ), Fabrice Amedeo (Newrest-Matmut), Vincent Riou (PRB), and the majority of international skippers, like Rich Wilson (Great American IV), or Kojiro Shiraishi (Spirit of Yukoh) are based in Les Sables d'Olonne for three weeks, many have decided to take a few days off to get away from it all. "During these days off, I'll have some normal days with sport, looking after my son and taking some time out," stressed Thomas Ruyant (Le Souffle du Nord pour le Projet Imagine). Jean-Pierre Dick will be going off for nature walks with his partner to try to forget everything and get some rest. The idea for them all is to reduce the stress. Everyone has their own method, as they look forward to 1202hrs UTC on 6th November.

Quotes from the sailors

Sébastien Josse (France), Edmond de Rothschild: "I went through some physical training in Brittany and I'll be continuing in Les Sables d'Olonne. We have to keep at it, as there is a lot to do and it's important to stay in good shape. I'll be running, swimming and surfing if I find the time. I'll sail once a week to remain focused going through everything right up to the start. I want everything to stay in place on board to be ready for the big day."

Kito de Pavant (France), Bastide Otio: "These three weeks in Les Sables are different from the others. We see so many people, while in general sailors tend to be quiet and keep to themselves. We mustn't get used to it, as we'll miss it during the Vendée Globe! I'm taking some time out, but am remaining focused on the race. Sailing around the world is complicated, as there are so many things to think about."

Vincent Riou (France), PRB: "I've a busy schedule right up to 6th November, and I'll be here all the time except for one weekend, when I'll go home. We're seeing 350 clients, so am present every morning in la Mothe-Achard with the firm to answer their questions about the Vendée Globe. I leave them to it at lunchtime, as I want to have a light meal and have a little nap. After that, they visit the boat. That is what allows our projects to work. If we want to interest people and have support, you have to invest beforehand. We have to share our passion for sailing and the Vendée Globe with them."

Alan Roura (Suisse), La Fabrique: "I'm working with a small team and have lots of little details left to deal with to be ready on the big day. I also have to deal with the media, and this is part of my job. My days are full and I'm getting through a lot of coffee. I don't have any time for anything else, but I hope to get three days off to get some rest and forget things."

Kojiro Shiraishi (Japon), Spirit of Yukoh: "I'm making the most of my stay in Les Sables d'Olonne. I'm soaking up the atmosphere with the spectators. The atmosphere on the pontoons is incredible. The boat is more or less ready for the Vendée Globe. I still have a bit of learning to do about the computer. On the week of the start more than a hundred people from Japan (sponsors, friends) will be coming to Les Sables d'Olonne to visit the Vendée Globe Village. They are going to be impressed seeing such excitement."

Jean Le Cam (France), Finistère Mer Vent: "I'll be busy over the next three weeks with media commitments, autograph sessions and the technical work. My project is rather unusual. We got our rig and sails at the last moment. Fortunately, we got a lot of support. There's no time for easing off, but I'll try to get some rest."

Thomas Ruyant (France), Le Souffle du Nord pour le Projet Imagine: "The schedule is very full during the first week with lots of interviews. We were ready, when we got here, so I don't have much to do on the boat. We're enjoying the event and soaking up the atmosphere. I have planned to take a week off with my family in Lorient with some normal days."

Arnaud Boissières (France), La Mie Câline: "We're going out sailing on Tuesday, as we have a few things to see to on the boat, such as setting up the autopilot, for example. The visits from partners are scheduled here in the workshop, which makes it easier than aboard the boat. I became a Dad last week, so I'm getting used to not getting much sleep!"

Louis Burton (France), Bureau Vallée: "I'm really enjoying it here. It's great to attract so many people and see how the public is interested in our project. The boat is almost ready and the family is on their way. I'm trying not to get too stressed and to stay calm. We have decided to set up appointments on the first and last week in general. I'll be taking some time off in the middle. Apart from that, I'm doing some cycling, so I am managing to do some sport..."

Jean-Pierre Dick (France), StMichel-Virbac: "It's never that easy. You have to deal with the situation, but in the end, it's a moment when we get together with the public and our sponsor. We try to be available to them, even if the race is already on our minds. We also need to take some time out, do some sport to sleep well and keep up the exercises. My trainer is here. I'm swimming, cycling, so not doing anything dangerous During my week off, I won't be going home. I'm going abroad with my partner to enjoy the natural world and do some walks together."

Evolution - revolution

This is the great debate in this eighth edition of the Vendée Globe. To foil or not to foil, that is the question... On paper, these appendages which we saw in the America's Cup allow the boat to be lifted up, as if the boat was lighter, meaning that the top speed increases significantly with a bonus of 10-15% with the wind on the beam. But if there advantages, there are also disadvantages. These foils are less efficient when sailing upwind and with the wind astern they only take effect when there is more than 12 knots of real wind. This round the world race will make things much clearer. Is it better to sail a boat that is as light as possible or to fly over the seas using foils?

Over the past thirty years, the boats sailed around the world by solo sailors have gone through several radical design changes, firstly for safety reasons, but also to adapt to more stringent class rules. However, the boats have continued to improve in terms of performance with each edition of the Vendée Globe. In the first non-stop solo round the world race, the winner Titouan Lamazou took 109 days and 8 hours, while François Gabart has held the record since 2013 after completing the voyage in 78 days and two hours, or in other words an improvement of 25% in spite of the race course being around 20% longer.

Ocean racing is probably the mechanical sport, which has changed the most over the past thirty years. The first 60-foot boats dsigned to sail around the world date back to the 1996 BOC Challenge, the second edition of the solo round the world race with stopovers. But since then, when the winner was Crédit Agricole III, a boat built of aluminium and which was heavy and bulky, weighing in at 15 tonnes, designers have tried to find ways to increase power, while reducing weight. So, in the first Vendée Globe (1989-90), there were no real design constraints, apart from the length of the hull, but with each passing edition, the domination of wide "sleds" with a lot of ballast and sail has been thrown into question, particularly after the tragic 1996 race, when three boats capsized (Dinelli, Bullimore, Dubois) and one sailor was lost (Gerry Roufs)...

While they have tended to become more reasonable with IMOCA class rules, which take into account the stability of the boat and imposes safety gear, the 60-foot boats have continued to include innovations. In 1996, Yves Parlier set sail around the world with the first wing mast. In 2000, Michel Desjoyeaux won with a canting keel, which allowed the boat to be stiffer. Then, there were the asymmetrical daggerboards, more ballast tanks, huge progress in terms of weather forecasting with the use of Grib files and on board routing systems, sails which no longer lost their shape and hulls made of pre-preg carbon...

IMOCA boats took the time down to under 100 days in 2001, completing the round the world voyage in 90 days in 2005, then in under 85 days in 2009 and in 78 days in 2013. Yet, class rules have become increasingly limiting with a maximum beam today of 5.85m, a maximum draft of 4.5m, an air draft of 29m, a maximum of five appendages, minimum freeboard height and coach roof volume... There have been changes in leadership in terms of the design teams: Finot-Conq, Lombard, Owen-Clarke, Farr, Kouyoumdjian, then VPLP-Verdier with straighter lines and rounder bows to increase lateral stability.

However innovation costs money and in 2013 the skippers planned to move to a one-design boat to keep costs down. The idea was rejected, but certain elements of the puzzle that makes up a 60-foot IMOCA were standardised (mast, keel) and the volume of the ballast tanks limited. Inspired by the catamarans in the America's Cup, the designers came up with the idea of adding foils to lift up the hulls and increase the boats' speed and power. Six new prototypes have been fitted with these new appendages and one older boat modified to include them.

But because the 2016 rules limit the number of appendages to five (a keel, two rudders and two daggerboards), the designers had to think of a dual function appendage: an anti-drift role to stop the boat from moving sideways when sailing against the wind and with the function of lifting the boat up in addition to the canting keel, which also contributes to that. The tip of this foil is the key element for the former, while the elbow helps raise the boat, and the shaft, which comes out of the hull, is just a way to support the tip. After a number of sea trials, the skippers and designers defined the best adjustment possible, remembering that class rules forbid the modification of the incidence of the foil. They then changed the shape from the initial designs to enhance performance, in particular when sailing upwind.

Now, all of the foilers are fitted with version 2 (except Hugo Boss following damage to the foil), but each one has gone for a small difference, with the aim of cranking up performance: doing better upwind, more powerful with the wind on the beam, raised up when sailing downwind... There is a significant gain in power thanks to the foils at between 70 degrees and 120 degrees from the real wind. That is when the appendage in conjunction with the canting keel raises the hull up, reducing drag and offering an increase in speed of two knots in comparison to a traditional IMOCA without foils.

This latest design feature is now better tuned after a year of tests, but there are still questions about the outcome in the non-stop solo round the world race. Which of the boats will survive? Those that fly on the water with their foils or those that are simply lighter. Who will come out on top after two and a half months of sailing around the three oceans, where there is a huge range of weather conditions from Southern storms to equatorial calms? We should get the answer around 20th January 2017 in Les Sables d'Olonne...

Today in the Village

On Tuesday in the Vendée Globe Village, Armel le Cléac'h spent an hour with around fifty children from a special school in St-Nazaire and the Dravet Syndrome Alliance. The skipper of Banque Populaire VIII shared his experiences with 7-10 year-old schoolchildren before answering their questions. Children with hearing and language difficulties gave him some presents, including a photo he will be able to take aboard during his round the world voyage. The children will be encouraging Armel during the Vendée Globe, as well as Jean-Pierre Dick, who also supports the Dravet Syndrome Alliance.