Vendée Globe: Sébastien Simon: "With Sam Davies, we're going to cry over a beer"

Making of:

“It's okay, it's okay…” At the end of the line, Sébastien Simon's first words are full of disappointment.

The Vendéen was forced to retire with his Arkea-Paprek boat after hitting an ofni on Wednesday.

While he had the coasts of South Africa in sight on Saturday morning and he was due to dock in Cape Town in the afternoon, the winner of the Solitaire du Figaro in 2018 agreed to confide on the hours difficult that he has just experienced while planning with envy on the next edition of the round the world in 2024. 

Sébastien, after the hammering of the announcement of your retirement, how is morale going?

Unfortunately, it's been a while since I've been downcast.

I am even disgusted.

It's a hell of a blow and even a great injustice, but I try to put things into perspective in order to move forward anyway.

As soon as I saw the impact of the ofni and understood that my result would be compromised in this Vendée Globe, I only thought of one thing: to be at the start in 2024. I had my place in this ninth editing.

I remain convinced that I could get back on the podium.

The next few weeks and months will be difficult to take in seeing the boats return to Les Sables-d'Olonne knowing that I am not one of them.

“I had nightmares last night.

I didn't eat anything for 48 or 72 hours… ”

How was your first night since the announcement of the abandonment?

I had nightmares last night.

I didn't eat anything for 48 or 72 hours… I don't really know.

Nothing was happening.

I delayed my decision to quit as late as possible.

I envisioned everything, looked at the weather forecast, thought about making a stopover to repair.

I had no desire to make this irreversible decision.

Unfortunately, that's part of the game.

Tell us in a few circumstances came the shock with the ofni ...

Arkea-Paprec was launched in July 2019.

I was in the heart of the southern depressions and the sea conditions were really tough.

I was already idling to maintain an average speed between 16 and 18 knots and I was waiting for milder conditions to set off again at full throttle.

I went to rest on my bench and suddenly I was propelled forward.

I immediately understood that I had not typed in a wave.

I got out and saw an object coming up the back of the boat but couldn't identify what it was.

In the process, I saw the waterway at the level of the foil which was moving.

I understood that the damage was significant.

I quickly called the race management and my team.

"As Loïc Peyron says, shit never happens alone at sea but in cavalry" 

Did you fear that the boat would take on water?

In fact, I had to keep my boat afloat because I had another waterway: when I diverted to fetch Kevin Escoffier (castaway with PRB), my rear rudder rudder sleeve went off. torn and water comes in from behind.

Every two hours I have to go and bail for forty minutes… It's tiring.

As Loïc Peyron says, shit never happens alone at sea but in cavalry.

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Hasn't the size of giant foils become a problem for boats subject to the growing risks of encounters with ofnis?

I do not believe.

Sam Davies has large foils and yet it was his keel that took a shock.

You can hit anywhere on a boat, in a foil, the hull, the keel… We know that these are waters where we frequently encounter objects and unfortunately this was the case for me.

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Doesn't the race for performance for these boats come at the expense of solidity?

No, our boat was really strong.

They are made to float, to tap water but not anything else.

With any other boat, the damage would have been the same, given the shock suffered on Wednesday.

Of course, when you are launched at 17 knots, or the equivalent of 35 km / hour, with a weight of eight tonnes, that makes a hell of a lot of potential energy.

Who will welcome you in Cape Town and how will the next few days be?

People from the Initiatives Heart team (Sam Davies' boat) will receive me, it is part of the great solidarity in our sport and it is quite incredible.

I have one person from my team who will be arriving on Sunday and another on Monday.

The expert will analyze the structure of the boat and find out how to return to France, by cargo ship or by sea.

"We thought we were going to cry over a beer with Sam" 

In Cape Town, you will be able to find Sam Davies or Alex Thomson who have also given up…

Yes, it will be comforting.

We will be able to tell each other our anecdotes.

I had messages from Sam (Davies, editor's note) who was sorry for me.

We thought we were going to cry over a beer.

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Are you going to tackle the Vendée Globe 2024 with her?

We'll see ... I am determined to come back stronger, even better prepared and more determined in four years.

Launching my boat in July 2019 was already half a dream.

If I had to do it again, I would love to relive it.

Designing a boat is a fabulous experience, a real childhood dream.

We must seize all the opportunities that arise.

I demonstrated that my boat was one of the fastest in the descent of the Atlantic by being for four or five days the fastest in 24 hours while my preparation was complicated.

This boat has extraordinary potential, I remain convinced of it.

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