After a exciting and prolonged duel with the winner Charlie Dalinthe pPaprec Arkéa atron, Yoann Richommecompleted his first solo round-the-world trip this morning at 06:12 UTC, achieving a magnificent second place in the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe after 65 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes at sea. The second classified, who crossed the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne 22 hours, 47 minutes and 13 seconds behind the winner, covered an actual route of 28,326 nautical miles at an average speed of 17.95 knots.
This second place is a remarkable achievement for a debutant in the Vendée Globe. His arrival, surrounded by a passionate crowd at dawn on a frigid winter morning, symbolizes the culmination of an extraordinary adventure for this navigator. Richomme, smiling and visibly excited, greeted the crowd that lined the legendary Les Sables d’Olonne canal and who burst into applause when they saw the silhouette of the ship appear.
«It’s fantastic, it’s wonderful. “It’s a great moment and I’m happy to have waited a little (before the finish line), so yesterday was Charlie’s day and today is mine,” the French sailor joked upon his arrival ashore. «I’m not interested in collecting trophies, they always end up on a dusty shelf or in a bin, so that’s not what motivates me. I still wonder what motivates me and I haven’t identified it.», he added.
Yoann Richomme established himself as a formidable rival from the first days of racing and during the circumnavigation he has demonstrated his mastery of the extraordinary variety of talents necessary to complete a non-stop solo round-the-world voyage.
Leader in Ovens
A key strategic decision was to take the safe route around a gigantic low pressure system in the Indian Ocean, while Charlie Dalin and Sébastien Simon opted for the direct route, through the center of this dangerous system. This bet, which he regretted after seeing his competitors come out with a significant advantage, prompted him to redouble his efforts. In the deep South, he adopted an impressive pacerepeatedly delivering remarkable performances under demanding and unforgiving conditions. This tenacity was rewarded when rounded Cape Horn headlongwith 9 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of Charlie Dalin.
An exciting game of cat and mouse ensued as the two sailors battled each other, competing for every mile of advantage until the unpredictable conditions of the cold front at Cabo Frio, where Dalin managed to escape. Despite this, Richomme demonstrated a impressive fighting spirit until the endmaintaining constant pressure on his opponent.
“My motivation has been more to do a good job,” he said about it. If we take the example of the comeback I managed to make between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, I was not completely obsessed. I didn’t tell myself that I had to catch up with the first boat; I was trying to deliver the best work I could and then let the scenario decide the outcome. In that case, I made a big jump in the rankings and in terms of miles, but I’m not a pitbull looking for a bone. When Charlie passed me I knew I wouldn’t finish first. “I’m happy to finish second.”
The skipper has confessed to having enjoyed the regatta: «I was quite surprised to enjoy the regatta. I was a little afraid because of the long duration of the regatta, but I appreciated it, although racing alone for me is not that fun. I have enjoyed life on board a little and I have been interested in the concept of travel, of seeing islands. I have not always been fully focused on the ship, I have read on Wikipedia about different explorersstories of travel and discoveries of these lands.
Regarding the toughness of the round-the-world trip, Richomme has said that despite some difficult moments, he has never really broken down: “We had tools for mental preparation, but I never had to use them, so I think the balance is quite good. I navigate without pressure. It doesn’t affect me much if a boat is nearby. Of course if you have Jéremie (Beyou) around, you know he’s going to be tough, and the same with Charlie (Dalin), but It gives you a headache to think too much about others. You must stay very focused on yourself; Otherwise, almost anything can influence you. “If you look at every classification and see that he has gone faster than you in the last four hours, it becomes impossible.”
Regarding his future projects, Richomme has pointed out that he wants to “continue progressing” and have fun. «It’s not just the regatta that I like, it’s everything that surrounds the team. Build the team, create the boat concept, build the boat, prepare it. And also try to do my best to obtain the best results; that is the case today and maybe another time I can do even better».
#Yoann #Richomme #Vendée
