No time off this summer for Francis Joyon and his shore team, who have been continuing their preparation for the Route du Rhum , destination Guadeloupe by carrying out regular sailing trips since the start of the month
A shrinking list of jobs to do
Moored up at the pontoon in La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany, the red and grey maxi-trimaran has been the centre of attention for the expert hands of Francis Joyon and his shore team, who are busy running through the to do list and carrying out trials.
“The boat underwent a lot of work this winter and thanks to the experience gained during the Nice UltiMed, we were able to note everything that was wrong and required work. Today, the to do list is growing shorter and we are very pleased with the work done.”
Sailing as much as possible to continue to learn
There are no miracle methods to ensure a win at the finish line in Pointe-à-Pitre, apart from getting the boat in the best of shape and carrying out as many sailing trips as possible. Francis understands that and is determined to spend as much time as he can aboard his maxi-trimaran, along with his team, but also sailing solo.
“I set off for the first time alone on this boat when I brought her home from New York to La Trinité-sur-Mer after The Bridge and I intend to get out there alone again to continue to learn.”
That is now the case as Francis left the pontoon early yesterday morning to head for La Rochelle. After a night spent moored up off the island of Aix, he headed back up to Brittany. We can imagine that this latest trip taught him a lot about the boat.
As we reach the 100 days to go point before the start of the big race, Francis and the whole of the IDEC SPORT team are doing their utmost to ensure the Route du Rhum goes as well as possible.
