Vendée Globe Day 11 – Eight days after retiring from the race, the skipper tells us about his failures…always with a smile.
During the eight days of the Vendée Globe, the sailor has had many adventures and calls us from the Doldrums, this intertropical zone that sailors fear, which he approaches at more than 20 knots key moments marked by damage, hairy invasion, shocking reading, lack of wind and moments of majesty.As we publish this text, the sailor just revealed on his Instagram account that the power went out in the middle of the night, shutting down his entire ship.
Madame Figaro: How do you feel about this stage of the race?Is it different from your first Vendée Globe?
Clarice Kremer: I feel very good, very good morale! I had some down times at this stage last time when I felt like I was at the bottom of the mountain.
On the night of November 12-13, you suffered a significant loss by losing your big gennaker.How do you manage your nerves in such conditions?
I did what I had to do in the lonely night, in the wind. It’s a small thing that broke, degenerated. Of course, I lost a lot of small tools with this strategic sail, which were my jokes for the Vendée Globe, but I could also wreck, hurt myself very badly or even fall into the water.
This prompted you to change strategy.
We sail with many systems to adapt our strategy to the boat configurations and weather conditions, and this sail is at the end of a small chain, so it’s easy to determine what it will change for the rest of the race.
You’ve shared recipe videos, photos, and other mishaps like having a giant spider in the shed.What role do these shares play in your daily life?
I don’t ask myself too many questions to be honest, I make my daily three minute videos quite naturally. Talking about food amuses me, it becomes a hobby in itself when you have time, when there is no wind. But it is very relative: on Tuesday evening, for example, it was very hot, we were going very fast, I ate what I could get my hands on. As for photos, I like to share little moments of reflection that are very dear to me. Had beautiful nights, calm and starry, it’s very pleasant and makes you want to take a boat ride to enjoy the softness and the flying fish.
You mentioned the discovery on a very difficult novel. special day by Anne-Dauphin Juliend and which addresses the question parental loss . The sea – in calm weather – is suitable for reading.
Reading is a way for me to gain perspective.Since it’s always difficult to start a book at sea, I use audiobooks; I have already listened to Thomas Peske’s autobiography three times, but after reading this I decided to pick up another one, maybe a little longer.
You are also competing for eight days with your companion Tanguy le Turquais, this is his first Vendée Globe. How do you feel about it?
It’s very special. I have to say that I miss him less than if he was on the ground. Since we are each on our own ship, I have the impression of being with him. We don’t talk much, just to know if we slept well, what we ate… We like to know that everything is okay. I can’t wait for his impressions to come in. He has more experience than I do, but Vande is special.
Source: Le Figaro
