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EN
Thomas Coville and Thomas Rouxel (Sodebo Ultim 3), 4th:
Thomas Rouxel: We’re tired. It was a long, hard race. Of course, we’re pleased too. It’s always nice to finish in Martinique. We had a great day of sailing today and enjoyed ourselves. We set off in tricky weather conditions. After that there were a lot of transitions. The wind was very unstable and our rivals took the level right up. Trying to get up there was really hard.
Thomas Coville: I like finishing in Martinique too, because here in the Caribbean, the people are a bit like sailors. They always worry they will be forgotten. They worry about what may happen. Three weeks ago there was the threat of a cyclone. We feel that tension out at sea too. Back on dry land on the continent, it’s impossible to understand.
We got the boat back in the water after some major modifications. We didn’t have much time to train. We were a bit lacking in terms of performance at the start, but on the way into the Doldrums we were only 90 minutes behind François, so we had done rather well. The damage really shook us. The foil on the starboard rudder was chopped off by a UFO. I didn’t talk about it, but everyone must have known. It was early in the race and things could have happened to others too. When I felt the shock, I screamed. My memory of this is finding Thomas sobbing in the cockpit. I took him in my arms, as we knew the race was going to be different.
We accept this fourth place like any disappointed sportsmen. At the start, if don’t believe you’re going to win, you might as well stay at home. We never managed to take full advantage of the modifications that were made to the boat, as when the conditions corresponded, we were on the other tack and we had had that damage. But we learnt a lot.
Anthony Marchand and Thierry Chabagny (Actual Ultim 3), fifth in ULTIM
First words from Anthony Marchand and Thierry Chabagny
Thierry Chabagny: It’s fantastic to finish after 9000 miles. The Coffee Race is the equivalent of two transatlantic crossings for the ULTIMs or a third of the round the world voyage. It’s quite something spending so many days getting 100% from these boats.
Thierry Chabagny: 16 days in a row aboard an ULTIM is not something you often see. For me sailing double-handed it was a first. A magical experience thanks to Anthony and Team Actual. You’re on the edge all the time. You take advantage of every second, so when you get here, it all drains away and you can finally relax.
Anthony Marchand: We don’t have anything to regret. We pushed the boat to her limit and fought all the way. It would have been nicer to finish third or fourth. We don’t have any regrets in terms of strategy, nor in how the boat sailed. We didn’t have much time before to test the new foils. We saw how solid they were and we’re still learning how to adjust them. We can see there is a lot of potential and that helps us sail faster. It’s really given a boost to the boat.
I felt a lot of responsibility throughout the race. Towrads my partner and the fifteen people in the team. They hand you the keys just like that. I’m pleased to have brought her here without any major problems, even if the daggerboard hit something 100 miles from the finish.
I’m now looking ahead to the round the world race. The boats are reliable and can really clock up the miles. I’m going to get some rest, but I can’t wait to get out there. We won’t sail the same way sailing solo. Here up to thirty knots of wind, it was full on, with the big gennaker, full mainsail, J2 as a stay sail…
Thierry Chabagny: We won’t forget the roaring start. We were at full pelt, but didn’t know where to go in relation to the Alderney Race. Two hours before, we were the hotel and you suddenly find yourself at the helm at full speed. You focus on the manoeuvres, try to plan ahead and attempt to find a compromise between sailing safely and not getting left behind. I won’t forget passing Ascension Island. It’s so small on the charts. In the end, it was nice to see it, even if it only lasted half an hour or an hour. Then, of course, there was the finish, when you cross the line and can suddenly relax.
Anthony: The race saw some magnificent winners. They sailed very well and there was a great fight with SVR Lazartigue. We followed it on our screen. It’s good for the class to have such a fascinating race. Thierry was the perfect person for this race. It all went smoothly. We complement each other and sail in tune with each other. On the line, I told him I was pleased to have done it with him. I even gave him a kiss on his forehead!
