Armel Le Cléac'h: “An epic race with a great win”

Armel Le Cléac'h - Vendée Globe © Vincent Olivaud

Armel Le Cléac'h won the 2016 Vendée Globe and held the Vendée Globe record for eight years. That was until Charlie Dalin came along and finally smashed it out the park this time.

But Le Cléac'h is a true Vendée Globe legend, the only skipper to have competed three times and always finished on second or better, runner up twice behind Michel Desjoyeaux in 2009 and in 2013 behind Francois Gabart. The current skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire XI, Armel Le Cléac'h talks of the results of the 10th edition and talks about his favorite things about the race.

How did you experience this Vendée Globe?

I followed the carto and the weather a lot, especially the scenario at the head of the race and the top ten. It was a great edition! Finally, after a very unusual 2020-2021 edition with complicated weather phenomena, regroupings, significant damage and the time compensation at the end, we enjoyed a more typical scenario. It was an elimination race with a duel to the finish that was played out for the victory like for our duels in 2012-2013 and 2016-2017. It was extremely intense between the top duo and I think that it was the best guy who won in the end.

What do you think of Charlie Dalin's victory?

It's a great performance. He won with the popular vote too I think. It was a race that was fiercely fought with great control from start to finish. There is very little he could have done better in terms of strategy, boat handling and his race management. He had the experience, a boat built to his own specifications and he made the right strategic choices that allowed him to hold on without taking any unnecessary risks. And then Charlie knew how to handle the pressure... It's an epic race with an great win!

So at the end, there's this record now which is more than nine days ahead of your mark!

Yes, it's impressive. We knew that there was a strong chance that it would be beaten because of the technical evolution of the boats. It is estimated that the current IMOCAs have a performance gain of 15% on previous generations and it showed. But you have to push these boats at a very high level and manage the weather sequences well to go as fast as the first three.

To make a difference, you need a bit of daring like Charlie showed in the big depression in the Indian Ocean?

Yes and it's particularly interesting. You can't just control things especially in such a long race. It is important to be opportunistic, to have the mental strength to commit and bet a little more than the others. There is a risk to take but the gains can be very significant and it has been. We will probably see this more and more: the sailors perfectly master the keys to the game, their speeds, their boat and they have the ability to get out of complex situations as best they can. There is no coincidence, the years of work and experience already accumulated by the leaders proved very significant.

Charlie told us that he monitored the sea state in real time on his computer, much more than in the last edition... Is this an important parameter?

Yes, even more so for flying or semi-flying boats like the IMOCAs. This contributes to the intrinsic performance of the boat. The sea state can completely change the scenario that we have imagined. With better faster internet connections, we refine the forecasts which offers a real plus in strategy.

You often talk about the "Figaro school"... The majority of the 'top 10' of this Vendée Globe were part of it. What does that tell us?

This race has demonstrated once again the difference between these sailors, who totally mastered their subject, and the others. Those who have become hardened on the Figaro circuit have learned to manage solo sailing, fatigue, strong gusts of wind, decision-making in extreme conditions... They have real technical strengths that really strengthen their game offshore. It's a very rapid learning process where no parameter is left to chance and every detail counts.

In terms of communication, are there any skippers that you enjoyed following?

I appreciated the pleasure that Sébastien Simon shared and enjoyed. After his foil broke, he could have been less communicative, less positive and yet he remained enthusiastic, he continued to share his pleasure of being on board. Of course, it is impossible not to talk about Violette Dorange who has become a phenomenon. I also really loved Jingkun Xu's journey. He competed in his round the world race aboard the boat on which I did my first Vendée Globe (Brit Air, finished 2nd in 2008). It is an IMOCA that already had quite a few miles and Jingkun went all the way, telling with great sincerity about his life on board, his difficulties, his handicap... I took great pleasure in following his race until the end.