THE INTERVIEW

Bahia. As 1 skipper is still at sea, Hervé is giving us his impressions of this second leg. When walking on the pontoons, one is impressed to think that all these small boats have crossed the Atlantic with just one person onboard. And when you talk to the skippers, they do not realise that they have just accomplished something extraordinary.

From the shore, we had the impression that this leg was very short. Did you feel the same on the boat ? It is true that the first week went by very quickly ( up to the Cap Verde Islands) as the wind was strong and we were sailing under spinnaker. It was however very tiring nervously as pushing the boat in these conditions is risky and requires a certain level of madness….The second week started well until the doldrums which to my big surprise I crossed very quickly in less than 2 days. I was pushed by 3 squalls which made me each time progress southwards by 50 miles. Once the doldrums were behind me, this is where I felt that the time was long as there was more than 1500 miles to go to the finish line and this was going to be a lot of beating. And during the last days along the Bresilian coast, there was not a lot of wind and as always the last days seem to never end.

Was this your first encounter with squalls ? Yes and they are not all the same :the ones from the doldrums are much more violent than the others. The winds can be as strong as 40 knots and they are very sudden. During the first 10 minutes, the wind is very strong and you had better have put the spinnaker down already. Then after that you can put some more sail area and ccntinue to head south even if it is quite strong conditions. I think that I was quite lucky the way I crossed the doldrums as the conditions were different for every skipper. In one of the squalls, the lightnings were not very far and it was a bit stressful.

Did you suffer more from being alone than during the first leg ? The first week I did not suffer at all as there were several boats nearby and we could talk to each other on the VHF. However during the last 14 days, I had no contact with anyone except with an English cargo in the doldrums. It was really hard and I was pleased that I took a small dictaphone with me which let me express my feelings and my emotions. I also listened to some music. I was also listening everyday at 11h30 to Radio France Internationale (international news then a special broadcast of the race). Then at 12h00, there was the rankings given by the race committee on Radio Monaco. This was very motivating as I was in a a good position and the distances between the boats were very close.

Did the repairs that you did in Lanzarote hold ? Yes, I had absolutely no technical problems during this leg except some small holes in my spinnakers. The pogo is really an extremely well built yacht. It was her third transat and it had no problems. This is quite amazing.

When did you cross the Equator ? It was at 6h30 in the morning. I celebrated with champagne and some leckerlis (which I shared with Neptune). I then had my festive lunch with foie gras, pasta with olive oil and parmesan and some ice cream from the NASA.

Do you realise that you have achieved something extraordinary ? It is when I was in the middle of the Atlantic with more than 4000 meters of water under the boat that I realised that it was amazing to cross the Ocean singlehanded on such a small boat.

Did you see any animals ?
I saw a lot of flying fishes and every morning I was going around the baot to throw them back in the water. There were some big and some very small ones but I did not fancy any sushi ! I also saw from far a big whale which was jumping in the water and some dolphins.

What were the hardest moments ? The two days after the doldrums were psychologically difficult as it was a sort a anti-climax. I thought I had done most of the leg but actually there were still 1500 miles to go to the finish line. After having done the hardest part, you just want to finish. I think that those who have already done a crossing have a big advantage as they know more what to expect. Another difficult moment was when I did a knot with my spinnaker in my headstay. It took me 6 hours from 3h00 to 9h00 in the morning. I was standing on my spinnaker pole and I finally managed to undo it without tearing it ! The last two miles were quite hard as well as there was a lot of current and almost no wind, It took me 3 hours to do the last 2 miles and I could see the finish line !!!!

Did you physically suffer ? I lost 4 kgs but I had no serious problems except my bum which was hurting a lot due to the salted water and the permanent humidity.

What are your best memories ? 2 days of wonderful sailing after the cape verde islands along with Loic Lebras. Force 4 under spinnaker, 7-8 knots af average speed, not too many waves, really cool… The crossing of the E quator was also a good moment and of course the finish was great with Muriel and the children in a motor boat when I was sure that they would be arriving in Brasil only 2 days later.

How did the funds raising for Childen Action go ? This is another success as more than 25,000 Swiss francs have been raised principally through the generosity of the Lombard Odier employees. This will allow to completely finance the project of bringing 30 defavorised children to visist Santa Klaus in Lapland just before Christmas.

What are your projects now ? I have just sold the boat to an American who wants to do the Mini in 2003. I will now take some rest with the family who really deserve it before discovering my new home in Bermuda (that Muriel found during the second leg !). Regarding sailing, I wish to sail on multihulls but we will see when and on which type of boats.