Vendée Globe Commitment
“It’s complicated to differentiate them and give their strengths and weaknesses because they are quite close to each other. In terms of commitment and ability to pull on the boat, I found them both quite strong. Enduring, tough to evil. And that’s good because foilers are super engaging boats. I would happily compare them to fraternal twins. They look very similar but… (laughs) There are small differences, not so easy to find nor so big. They were both bottle-fed at Le Figaro. »
Family background and studies
“They have very different family backgrounds. But we find them in England in naval architecture. They didn’t go to the same school but still had the same idea at the start: trying to understand how a boat works. Charlie (Dalin) perhaps more because he’s a bit of a UFO in his family. He is a Cartesian in a family of artists. When he started sailing in Le Havre, he had to understand how a boat simply worked. He is someone who took control of his destiny very early on and had his own path in his family. Yoann (Richomme) comes from a slightly wealthier family, who passed on his taste for sailing very quickly (his dad Yannick is president of Incidences Voile). It’s a family passion. I don’t really know why he went to England but he did the same studies as Charlie. »
The culture of winning
“Fifteen years after their studies, they both found themselves in the same stable, at Macif. To share the same taste for work, for detail and the desire to win. They find themselves on the same boat, in the same team, doing the same Solitaire du Figaro (1st and 2nd in 2016 with five minutes apart). Ten more years later, they are side by side to fight once again, probably within a few miles or a few minutes for victory, this time in the Vendée Globe! We know from the start that they are doing everything for victory. They are at the top of their art, they are still making a splash in this Vendée Globe. »
Physically
“Physically speaking, they are both strong. Charlie is perhaps a little more rigorous than Yoann when it comes to physical preparation. With this slightly manic side where as soon as he does something, he measures, he compares to see if he did better than the last time (laughs) I have the impression that it was exacerbated following his second place in the Vendée Globe which still left its mark. We laugh about it a lot because he knows all his numbers. Even to go wingfoiling, for example, he will measure the speed… Yoann has a more human side perhaps. It still remains quite square. Little things that stood out to me about his project: one evening, we put the whole team on semi-rigid boats and we went for a little picnic on the beach at 7 p.m., opposite Groix. Charlie doesn’t have that because it’s not part of his software. For Yoann, his team is a bit like his second family. While Charlie delegated more of this management part to Jean-Luc Nélias. Everything is calculated, optimized. »
Mentally
“I don’t have contact with Charlie, I can’t say if he has ups and downs. I think so anyway. Without giving anything away, I know that Yoann has had ups and downs. What they both experience very badly is seeing the other go ahead. When Yoann passed Charlie before Cape Horn, it must have been hard… And there, conversely, since Charlie passed again in front, it’s hard! »
Weather report
“When it comes to weather, they are both very hardworking. They come from the Finistère Course au Large school in Port-La-Forêt. We share a lot of things, we have a lot in common on how to approach meteorology. But behind it, I also have the impression that they spend a lot of time, on their own, to find their own tools, their own information. And they both like it. They are sailors 2.0. »
Boats
“Yes, there are differences. At Yoann, there was the desire to advance the architecture and the concept of a boat for the Vendée Globe at the end of the last one which was to say: “Boats didn’t work in the sea . “We have to do something different” and call on a different architect (Koch-Finot-Conq). While Charlie stuck to his idea of a versatile boat to be the first to enter the South at the Cape of Good Hope and not sacrifice everything on the altar of the South Seas. Even with different concepts, we still find them in the same place. »
End of race
“I hope it ends neck and neck. But I think Charlie is better equipped. In principle, he has a more versatile boat which should allow him to create gaps in takeoff conditions where the boats start to fly. Normally, he should have the advantage over Yoann. Now, I don’t know if his boat has all its capabilities… but yes, advantage Charlie! »
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