First words on the victory pontoon
Tom Laperche: Franck joined us, we got a lot of things sorted, and we worked hard. We can be proud of everything we've accomplished, the two of us on the ocean and the whole team around this boat and this project, Merconcept, throughout the year. There were a lot of jobs to complete, ambitious programs, and we made good progress. And a huge thank you to the Kresk Group, SVR Lazartigue. There are many of them. And Didier Tabary (CEO of Groupe Kresk) is among those who trusted me four years ago, and today I am incredibly, incredibly, incredibly happy to give them this victory.
Franck Cammas to the Martinique crowds : Thank you for being here in such great numbers. It's truly heartwarming tonight. We spent ten days just the two of us on the boat, so the transition is special. This is Tom's first victory, and I think he can easily win five in his career. So he has his whole life ahead of him, and the talent and discipline to be a great champion, and he already is one. So I was delighted to share this moment with the boat and with Tom on a transatlantic race that was quite challenging. We encountered all sorts of weather conditions. We left Le Havre in quite difficult conditions against the wind. We're all here in the warmth, but in between, there's been a lot going on. There were two Doldrums in particular that were tricky. But anyway, we're happy to win a race that was intense, and our opponents weren't far behind. They fought hard too, they were fast. So it was never easy.
Tom Laperche: “It's always a huge relief because it's a mechanical sport and we know that even if we're a few hours ahead, until the finish line is crossed, the race isn't over. And the first thing is to manage to finish it. So, we've been waiting in the back of our minds since the start, thinking that first we have to reach the finish line. Even late on little problems can always arise. We saw that again this afternoon when we damaged the large gennaker, which came loose from the bow of the boat when we were off Barbados. So, we know that until we cross the line, it's a real pressure release, and we completely relax once we cross it and have people with us to take care of the boat.
Franck Cammas: “When you're in front, you really want it to end very soon. When you're behind, you don't want it to end because you always have a chance to overtake the leader. It's true that it's stressful to be in front for ten days. You're more likely to lose something than to gain something. But at the same time, that's what we're aiming for, and I think we sailed well. So that's good, we made some great routes. We didn't win through our speed, we won through our sailing, and that's even better. And there you have it, the Ultime class, I'm back in it. I think it's really competitive. Even if there are still some boats missing, you could say that, but the competition is definitely out there and getting tougher.
Franck Cammas: “They're big boats, so every maneuver, even if there are only two of us, involves... time spent cranking the winches, so we arrive with a lot more muscle than we usually have, especially me!.
Tom Laperche: "Ten days of racing in an Ultim is incredibly intense, we know, it's extremely physical. And then you have to constantly focus and anticipate to avoid going off course or making a mistake that could cost you equipment or a lot of distance, so it requires constant concentration. That's also what's beautiful about it, sailing a multihull and managing to go fast while foiling, it's something that's not easy to do.
Franck Cammas: “It was difficult because the conditions were difficult. After the first night, we were all already a bit exhausted. We didn't know how that first night was going to go. We were neck and neck with Banque Populaire, hauling the coals unsure whether to take a second reef or hold onto one. So it was a bit of a battle, and then it just kept going, it never stopped along the coast of Portugal. We were hit by incredible lightning. There were gusts from all directions, the exit was complicated after the black markers where we were quite stressed, not physically, but because of our ranking. So we never stopped with the fast boats, the problem is that if we stop, either due to a technical breakdown or a bad weather decision, the others catch up very, very quickly, even 150,000 is nothing at all, really. So there you have it, that tension is constant.”
“There was the particularly complicated sequence of weather conditions, a series of low-pressure systems before reaching the south of Portugal. It's not often we have to deal with these in the Ultime class, with big gusts and we pulled off a great move, passing right through the center of a low-pressure system. It is rare to get through. Honestly, we didn't know if we'd be going through with the easterly or westerly wind, and we ended up right in the middle.”
Cammas on Laperche “We are on the same wavelength. When I look at Tom, I feel like I'm looking at myself with the same concentration.
Laperche on Cammas: He has a bit more experience, the right amount of caution, just the right balance. Honestly, it's great to be able to absorb that and see how he does things. With years of offshore racing, you really know when it's worth taking risks and when it's not. And the whole point of pacing a race, especially on an-Ultim or in a multihull is knowing how to balance risk. When is it worth taking a risk and when isn't? And Franck has had that in his experience for a long time.
Abiding feelings……
Both: First there is a great joy because I was happy to arrive, happy to have the boat here, and then to win the race. And relief—that was the first question—is that at some point you decompress because the pressure drops, and it's not easy to make the switch between being a few miles from the finish line; everything is tense, anything can happen, mechanical problems, you're paying attention to everything, listening to everything. And suddenly you are thrown into the lion's den!
Cammas on winning five and transference
“ It's not every day you win a great race and have a great story like this. These are memories we'll cherish for a long time. Tom's first victory, my fifth, but each victory is truly unique. I'm happy; we're not from the same generation, but the role I had with someone so young was completely new. I've often had crewmates older than me who taught me a lot, and I hope I taught Tom something this time.”
"Every victory is different, but clearly the Transat Cafe L'Or suits me well. I like this double-handed format; I like sailing flat out on these big boats, and sailing double-handed allows you to do that. So, when you enjoy participating, you get good results afterward. It added an extra layer of interest; I think routing is a real ingredient in victory or defeat, so it's good that the crew is in charge of it, even if we used to also look at the weather; we weren't being remotely controlled. But I found it very interesting, and we're also proud to have sailed a great course, and it wasn't a router who made the course for us
Laperche responds, “Obviously, what we experienced with Franck was incredibly powerful, and I learned a lot. But when I think back to the last few years of sailing multihulls, or at least progressing so quickly in multihulls with François Gabart, Pascal Bidégory, and Franck Cammas, the learning experience is extraordinary. They are the best sailors out there on those boats offshore, and Peter Burling a few weeks back
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