Armel le Cleac’h Interview: Reflections on the Ultimate Challenge
Armel le Cleac’h looks back on an epic and unique singlehanded around the world race.
About Armel le Cleac’h
Armel le Cleac’h is one of an elite band of offshore sailors. He has won the Vendee Globe Race and recently completed the extraordinary ARKEA Ultim Challenge – a turbocharged singlehanded around the world race in massive Ultim class trimarans that are up to 32m in length and capable of speeds of over 40kn. Le Cleac’h was among the favourites for the race after winning the Route du Rhum in Banque Populaire XI but suffered damage early in the race that forced him to stop in Recife – Brazil and left him playing catch up. After a long fightback into second place, he was once more obliged to stop in Brazil as he headed back up the Atlantic and eventually finished this epic race in third. He reflects on a tough race.
Can you give us a little insight into what it feels like to sail an Ultim – especially for days on end?
Le Cleac’h: The feeling of sailing an Ultim is a lot of stress because it’s a huge boat that is going very fast so it’s a lot of concentration and anticipation, saying constantly vigilant if the sea state or the winds change. All that for 50 days it is of course difficult. After that there are the good sensations of sailing a boat that goes at 35 knots so you have some great moments that are unlike anything I have felt before because you are sailing the fastest offshore racing boat in the world.
Have you ever been afraid? Are there times when you feel like you are no longer in complete control of the boat? I think of the extreme speed and size of the Ultim Class
Le Cleac’h: When you sail this boat it’s not exactly that you are afraid that you will lose control of the boat although that can happen. I had a two or three hairy moments when the wind changed very quickly and one time it hit 50 or 55 knots and I felt a little bit at the limit of what I could control because you need to reduce the sail before the wind increases to avoid the situation becoming extremely dangerous. Aside from that there are also problems that we cannot control and can’t master that can scare you. That can be a technical problem; I suffered damage towards the end of the race which left a hole in the deck and lots of water getting in and it was complicated and to start with it wasn’t clear whether I was going to be able to get the water out. During a struggle like that you go through a lot of emotions and of course at the end you are elated when you succeed – but fear is definitely there.
What were the worst and best moments of the ARKEA Ultimate Challenge for you?
Le Cleac’h: There are many but the departure was superb with the sunshine and the flat sea a good breeze – ideal conditions for leaving and lots of people out on the water to cheer us on. Then there are the other moments – the beautiful days when you are flying it’s nice to see the distance covered on a good day and if you have made a good 24 hour run. I also saw lots of beautiful sea life which can make for some magic moments
For the difficult moments – well the first stop I had to make because of the damage to the boat. This happened very early for me and I was forced to stop at Recife and that was complicated because the weather had totally changed afterwards and therefore the first boats were a long way ahead and the weather after that was very complicated in the Indian Ocean and I was forced to choose a route that took me to the north of New Zealand which is not at all the classic one and led to a lot of weaving about in search of good winds. Afterwards there was the second stop that I was forced to make in Brazil on the way back, having damaged the rudders and even though we succeeded in fixing them it was a tough moment for me.
How does the experience of sailing an Ultim compare to sailing other boats?
Le Cleac’h: If I compare it to the Figaros and IMOCAs, it’s an experience that is completely different – all of these boats are foiling boats that fly and if you are sailing at 25 knots, it’s an experience outside the normal parameters of sailing that you don’t find any other place. The fact that you can cover huge distances in a relatively short space of time is also extraordinary and quite magic. These are hugely technical boats that have mastered the elements in a way that’s quite crazy. After that, it’s quite difficult to go back to smaller boats that are slower.
How does it feel now that the race is over? Is it a big anticlimax or a huge relief to have finished?
Le Cleac’h: At the beginning it was a big relief that it was finished because it was not an easy race for me; damage to the boat, difficult weather, it all made for a round the world trip that was tough. On the other hand, I’d got a podium place by finishing third and that was good. Now, a month after I can reflect on what happened; the adventure the technical aspects of the race and the boat. The boat is being repaired at the moment so we can also see exactly what we have to do with the boat. Ultimately though I feel very happy to have sailed the boat.
What were the biggest lessons you learned from racing? Is there anything you would do differently next time?
Le Cleac’h: We learnt a lot in terms of kit and the boat – a long race like that which is very technical means you get to see what works and what doesn’t – what breaks and what holds together. All that means we can improve the boat. So yes there are things we would do differently next time around in terms of technical set up to improve the boat and I would also change certain things I did too in terms of navigation and training before the race. I’d actually not sailed the boat much solo before the event – since the boat had been launched I’d only done La Route du Rhum which took a week and I hadn’t encountered all the conditions – most notably the very strong winds and that was really something to learn about for the next time.
What piece of kit did you find absolutely essential during the trip?
Le Cleac’h: The waterproofs we developed with Musto and I’m proud to say that they were superb. The protection they gave me was excellent when you bear in mind the speed at which we were travelling and the fact that the boat could often plunge into a wave and the protection allowed me to keep going without any physical problems and that is very important. We have become used to sailing very fast and in the high latitudes that can be freezing and there was some worry that at this level of the sport it would be very hard to protect the body from the cold but the kit we developed with Musto allowed me to stay warm and dry and therefore sail the boat as I wished.
The Future of Armel le Cleac’h
What are your plans for the future? What is the next campaign?
Le Cleac’h: The next project for Banque Populaire, myself and the Ultim Class is to take part in the delivery of the Olympic flame which is a real honour. This takes place between the 7th and the 15th of June and we will sail with the flame across the Atlantic between Brest and Guadeloupe. That will be a big moment for us. After that it will be preparing for the autumn campaigns which will involve racing with a crew so it will be about maximising the potential of the boat with a crew.
Armel Le Cleac’h is a Musto ambassador. Our thanks to Musto for organising the interview. For more information go to Musto.com
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