Armel le Cleac’h looks back on an epic and unique singlehanded around the world race.
About Armel le Cleac’h
Armel le Cleac’h is one of an elite band of Offshore Sailors. He has won the Vendee Globe Race and recently completed the extraordinary ARKEA Ultim Challenge – a turbocharged singlehanded around the world race in massive Ultim class trimarans that are up to 32m in length and capable of speeds of over 40kn. Le Cleac’h was among the favourites for the race after winning the Route du Rhum in Banque Populaire XI but suffered damage early in the race that forced him to stop in Recife – Brazil and left him playing catch up. He was forced to stop once again in Brazil when he returned up the Atlantic after his long struggle for second. He looks back on the race.
Can you give us a little insight into what it feels like to sail an Ultim – especially for days on end?
Le Cleac’h: The feeling of sailing an Ultim is a lot of stress because it’s a huge boat that is going very fast so it’s a lot of concentration and anticipation, saying constantly vigilant if the sea state or the winds change. This is a lot to handle for 50 days. Then there are the great sensations that come with sailing a boat at 35 knots. You have moments like no other because you’re sailing the fastest offshore race boat in the entire world.
Have you ever felt afraid? You may feel out of control at times. The Ultim Class is a boat of extreme size and speed.
Le Cleac’h: When you sail this boat it’s not exactly that you are afraid that you will lose control of the boat although that can happen. I’ve had two or three scary moments where the wind changed quickly. One time, it reached 50 or 55 knots. I felt like I was at the limit of my control. You need to lower the sail before wind increases in order to prevent the situation from becoming dangerous. Aside from that there are also problems that we cannot control and can’t master that can scare you. That can be a technical problem; I suffered damage towards the end of the race which left a hole in the deck and lots of water getting in and it was complicated and to start with it wasn’t clear whether I was going to be able to get the water out. During a struggle like that you go through a lot of emotions and of course at the end you are elated when you succeed – but fear is definitely there.
What was the best and worst moment of the ARKEA Ultimate Challenge?
Le Cleac’h: There are many but the departure was superb with the sunshine and the flat sea a good breeze – ideal conditions for leaving and lots of people out on the water to cheer us on. Then there are the other moments – the beautiful days when you are flying it’s nice to see the distance covered on a good day and if you have made a good 24 hour run. There was also a lot beautiful sea life that made for some amazing moments.
For the difficult moments – well the first stop I had to make because of the damage to the boat. The weather was very unpredictable in the Indian Ocean, and it was difficult to navigate. I had to take a different route to find good winds. Then, on my way back to the UK I had a second stop in Brazil due to damaged rudders. Although we were able fix them it was an emotional moment.
How does sailing on an Ultim compare with other types of boats?
Le Cleac’h: If I compare it to the Figaros and IMOCAs, it’s an experience that is completely different – all of these boats are foiling boats that fly and if you are sailing at 25 knots, it’s an experience outside the normal parameters of sailing that you don’t find any other place. You can also cover huge distances relatively quickly, which is quite amazing. These are hugely technical boats that have mastered the elements in a way that’s quite crazy. After that, it’s quite difficult to go back to smaller boats that are slower.
How do you feel about the finish of the race? It’s a relief or an anticlimax to finish the race.
Le Cleac’h: At the beginning it was a big relief that it was finished because it was not an easy race for me; damage to the boat, difficult weather, it all made for a round the world trip that was tough. On the other hand, I’d got a podium place by finishing third and that was good. A month later, I can look back on the whole experience; the adventure, the technical aspects of racing and the boat. We can now see the exact situation with the boat as it is being repaired. In the end, I’m very pleased to have sailed this boat.
What are the main lessons you have learned from racing? Do you have any suggestions for how to improve your performance?
Le Cleac’h: We learnt a lot in terms of kit and the boat – a long race like that which is very technical means you get to see what works and what doesn’t – what breaks and what holds together. All of this means that we can improve our boat. There are some things that we would change next time in terms technical setup to improve the boat. I would also make changes in navigation and training prior to the race. I’d actually not sailed the boat much solo before the event – since the boat had been launched I’d only done La Route du Rhum which took a week and I hadn’t encountered all the conditions – most notably the very strong winds and that was really something to learn about for the next time.
What is the one piece of gear that you found absolutely indispensable during your trip?
Le Cleac’h: The waterproofs we developed with Musto and I’m proud to say that they were superb. They were excellent protection, especially when you take into account the speed we were traveling and the fact that our boat would often crash into a sea. The protection allowed me not to have any physical problems. This is extremely important. The high latitudes can be icy and we are used to fast sailing. It was feared that this level of sport would make it difficult to protect our bodies from the cold. But the kit developed by Musto enabled me to keep warm and dry, and sail my boat however I wanted.
The Future of Armel le Cleac’h
What are your future plans? What is your next campaign?
Le Cleac’h: The next project for Banque Populaire, myself and the Ultim Class is to take part in the delivery of the Olympic flame which is a real honour. This will happen between 7Th The 15Th In June, we will sail across the Atlantic with the flame from Brest to Guadeloupe. This will be an important moment for us. It will then be time to prepare for the autumn campaigns, which will include racing with a team. This will allow us to maximise the potential of our boat.
Armel Le Cleac’h is a Musto ambassador. We thank Musto for organizing the interview. Musto.com has more information.
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