Having set out on 30 November to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy, held since January 2017 by Idec Sport (Francis Joyon) in 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes, Sodebo Ultim 3 had to interrupt her attempt on Tuesday 3 December due to a broken central rudder, before returning to Lorient a week later. Tip & Shaft took the opportunity to talk to its skipper, Thomas Coville.
Can you talk about the rudder damage that forced you to turn back?
The rudder was cut clean off as it came out of the central hull, but we didn’t feel any impact or stop, so we’re leaning more towards the hypothesis of a piece of rope or a fishing net which hooked onto the rudder and ripped it off, holding it back like a rubber band as we were making 38 knots. Since we’ve been back, our shore team has changed the rudder, X-rayed a number of places, pulled out the daggerboard to check it, and nothing else has been impacted. So we’ll be sailing again on Monday, ready to set off again. Having done a lot of solo sailing and sometimes come home with heavy boots, I realise just how precious it is to be able to rely on the energy of a team at times like this.
Do you have any regrets?
Of course, yes. We decided to set off in a fairly atypical window, or at least a new one for this generation of flying boats, in the sense that you can set off upwind or reaching, which wasn’t possible for the archimedean boats and opens up a much wider field of possibilities for the start. It was a route that took us west at the start and was an investment for the future, as we crossed the Doldrums at an easier point. At the time of the damage, we had set out on 850-mile days which should have enabled us to reap the rewards of this window, which wasn’t easy to achieve, but which was interesting in terms of the link with the South Atlantic, a very important parameter if we were to reach Good Hope in 10-11 days. This sequence was borderline, but we were right on schedule, planning to be at the equator in 5 days and 2-3 hours.
Will there be a new window in the next few days?
We’re working with D-Ice, who are making statistical projections and overall analyses to project the boat as far as the Cape of Good Hope, there is no window over the next four days. But as the situation remains unsettled, both in the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic, there are windows of opportunity opening up fairly regularly, there aren’t any major patterns in place which are creating blockages, so I’m confident that I’ll be able to get going again fairly quickly.
“Charlie is someone
that inspires me”
Would the ideal sequence in the South Atlantic be that of the Vendée Globe sailors?
Yes! Just as they had a very bad North Atlantic in terms of speed, the sequence afterwards was brilliant. The top ten managed to stay ahead of the first southern low for a long time, I’d even say as far as Australia for the two frontrunners who dared to do different things, Charlie and Sébastien Simon.
Talking of the Vendée Globe, how do you see the race?
I follow the race closely and I’m always learning from the trajectories and what the sailors are saying. And from a more personal point of view, I always follow two of them in particular, in this case Sam Goodchild, who was a crew member with us, and Justine Mettraux, whose way of sailing I really like. Sam is having a very mature race, he was very good in the North Atlantic, leading several times, and in the Southern Ocean, he’s managing himself well physically, mentally and technically I find him intelligent in the way he operates, in his positioning, you can see that he’s matured, he’s composed, measured and doesn’t go knocking around corners. As for Justine, she’s a metronome, she’s got the cadence, the accuracy, she’s physically and mentally solid, regular. It’s funny to see the three girls battling it out with the handsome Boris (Herrmann), it’s good to see them neck and neck with the men. Sam (Davies) races like Sam, with her smile, she radiates, and I can’t forget the one who surprises me the most, Clarisse Crémer. She has a magnificent boat (former Apivia), but she’s using it very well, she’s showing that she’s in her sporting rightful place, she’s taking on the true dimension that she wanted to show.
What do you think of the leading trio of Charlie Dalin, Sébastien Simon and Yoann Richomme?
Charlie is the boss. At the time, I highlighted his attitude at the finish of the last Vendée, when he crossed the line first before his victory was taken away from him – quite rightly – and he showed that he was a great man. In this generation, he’s someone who inspires me, he’s set off again on this edition with the intention of going for this victory, he’s taking the risks to get there, and at the same time, you get the impression that he’s very happy at sea, it’s great to see a leader like that. Sébastien Simon is also having an impressive race and Yoann Richomme is the quiet force, he’s built a great project and has a great boat. I really like these three leaders!
“I’ve been crazy of each era”
Coming back to the Jules Verne Trophy, after years of chasing the solo round the world record, could this be seen as a kind of new grail for you?
I don’t know if we can talk about the grail, I don’t think I’ve ever used that word, but it’s in my personality to hang on when I’m biting at the bit, I’m a pugnacious person. I may not have the talent or the ability to get it right the first time, but when I’m given the time, in the end, I always succeed.
You’ve held it twice, in 1997 with Olivier de Kersauson and in 2010 with Franck Cammas, and now you’re going for it in 2024. Does that really correspond to three eras in terms of the evolution of these boats?
Yes, it’s funny, because when I started this job, it was what I dreamed of, I wanted to sail with as many different people as possible, on lots of different boats. I didn’t think it would last as long as it has. I’ve had this eclecticism and this slightly chameleon-like side to me, adapting to each era and each boat, and I’ve found it a crazy pleasure each time and I’m not sated yet! I’ve been crazy about each era: the round the world voyage with Olivier de Kersauson was an epic, it was like Shackleton, we went beyond 60 degrees South with seas at -2 degrees; the one with Franck and a dream team of twelve guys was masterful; this is yet another new era, that of flying boats with six sailors by my side who, for different reasons, wanted and needed to do the Jules Verne at this stage of their journey.
Looking further ahead, do you see yourself doing another solo round the world race one day, for example in the second edition of the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest?
I’m not stopping myself from anything and we’re obviously talking about everything with Sodebo’s management. As I said when Arkea arrived – and this Jules Verne Trophy is part of that process – I’m now more interested in the idea of sailing with a new generation and passing on the baton. I’d like to bring in a slightly different model, a bit like the project that I think is the most successful in the world today, namely Team New Zealand. So I’m thinking more in terms of passing on my heritage to a new generation, a generation I feel very close to, and I’m going to try and nurture that with the skippers, men and women, that I meet.
Photo: Vincent Curutchet / Team Sodebo Voile
