Adventure + …and 8th Bonafous and Eliès tell all

Theirs was the only arrival that Saturday afternoon. Between the powerful squalls that battered the bay, large crowds gathered in the race village and around the pontoon of honour. And since the downpours here never last, the sky cleared, letting the late afternoon sunlight shine on the water and on the only IMOCA to arrive in the afternoon, Association Petits Princes – Queguiner. Élodie Bonafous and Yann Eliès finished eighth in the race (in 13 days, 7 hours, and 7 minutes), but their adventure is far more than just statistics.

The Ups and Downs

Élodie: “We had different phases: a very energetic start, six idyllic days of sailing, and then the conditions got tougher. We had to make a short stopover in the Canary Islands, which was a real challenge, but it transformed the race into a whole new adventure. We know when we set off on a transatlantic race that there can be unforeseen circumstances; it's essential to be able to adapt when you're a sailor.”

The Stopover

Yann: “The stopover was unbelievable! The port was full of yachtsmen who were staying for a few days on beautiful yachts. And we only went ashore for 45 minutes. We took a shower and then ended up doing our grocery shopping in a supermarket. Inside, it was a bit of a supermarket sweep; we bought whatever we wanted: bread, butter, sausage… We definitely felt out of place!”

Élodie: “It was surreal!” We wandered around with our plastic laundry bags, speaking broken English… It was like being in an alien dropped to earth in the city!

36 hours alone at the helm when Eliès was bunk bound with his bad back

Yann: “Seeing land and knowing we were going to meet up with our friends made my back pain disappear. But it wasn’t easy, as the pain prevented me from participating in maneuvers for a while. I was stuck in my bunk, so Élodie sailed solo for 36 hours! Her solo leg of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L’OR wasn’t planned, but she took on the role very well!”

The harsh conditions on board 

Élodie: “On board, it’s never relaxing. Before, I called the boat the shaker. Now, I’ve given it a new name: the treetop adventure course.” We spend all our time suspended inside. You move around constantly holding onto the ceiling. I was starting to get tendonitis in my shoulder. You're always tense, always on edge. It's only by lying down in your bunk that you can sometimes relax. Thomas and Ambrogio talked about "bunk jumps," and I really like that expression!

Yann: "We're constantly living with the stress of breakage, broaching off course, torn sails… When you spend six or seven days locked in the cabin going back and forth between your winch pedestal and your bunk without sticking your head out, it's very demanding! Sure, you can't see much… But this is the sailing of tomorrow!"

Unique 'living' conditions...'I wonder what I'm doing here'.

Élodie: "The sensations are incredible, the sailing is amazing. There's a challenge aspect, a level of difficulty that motivates me and that I really enjoy." You experience a whole range of emotions, you cross the Atlantic at high speed, you reach 30 knots flying off the coast of Diamant, it's magical!

Yann: "The closer I get to the end of my career, the more often I wonder what I'm doing here. But I tell myself I have to keep enjoying it because these are incredible machines. So as long as I'm offered these kinds of opportunities, I'll keep seizing them."