Vendée Globe - A busy schedule for Jérémie Beyou

After spending his holidays in Barcelona, Jérémie Beyou returned to his base in Lorient shortly before Maître CoQ was relaunched on 25^th July. An opportunity for him to get to work on a phase of physical preparation along with his coach, Stéphane Eliot. “In the weeks during which I sail, I have a one-hour session in the morning. I usually add a cycle trip or paddle trip in the evening,” explained Jérémie. © Vincent Curutchet / DPPI / Maitre CoQ“In the weeks, when I don’t have any sailing planned, we’ll do three or four sessions a week lasting 90 minutes or so. I found it tough to start with, but later, I felt I was moving in the right direction and I’m back in good shape.” 

 

Jérémie has been working on the basics too, with in particular a cycle trip to the top of Mount Ventoux. “It was the third time I have gone up. We all made it to the top using the hardest route, the one taken by the Tour de France. We really enjoyed it,” he told us.

A new, more efficient set of sails
Maître CoQ was given a thorough check-up from top to bottom during the summer refit. Jérémie Beyou said, “We took everything apart, checked everything using ultrasound analysis carried out by Manu Le Borgne. He went through all the different parts on the boat, from the mast to the hull, including the keel, all the links and foils.” This work also aimed to improve as much as possible comfort and boat handling with the installation of a customised seat for the nav desk, new storage space, handrails and foot rests. “We also worked on the foils, which now make a little less noise. We worked on ensuring the reliability of the housing to avoid any leaks, if the boat hits anything,” added Beyou.

After a first sail in late July to ensure all the systems were working properly, Jérémie Beyou and his team got into the heart of the matter with trips to examine particular areas: to adjust the mast and foils, the use of the autopilot in strong winds and above all a test of the new sails, which they received for the relaunch. “The shape has been more carefully studied; the cloth is more interesting in terms of weight and stiffness. I think we have added quite a few more horse-power, and the boat is clearly that much faster,” the skipper of Maître CoQ explained.

A busy schedule

After sailing with his team for a month, Jérémie Beyou took part in the training course organised at the Finistère offshore training centre in Port-la-Forêt this week, along with Armel Le Cléac’h, Vincent Riou, Sébastien Josse, Yann Eliès and Paul Meilhat. After a day of sailing on Tuesday, during which the skippers were able to test their starting skills and sail on short coastal runs, on Wednesday they went out for 24 hours to ensure things come naturally to them when sailing. “What is interesting is that we really find out the best way to sail the boat and carry out manoeuvres. 

It also allows us to work on the trimming and certain aspects of our strategy, which doesn’t happen, when you sail all by yourself in your corner,” explained Jérémie. Two more courses will take place from 19^th to 22^nd September and from 4^th to 6^th October. September is going to be a busy month with supplies to organise, weather training with Jean-Yves Bernot at the centre, the press conference in Paris on 14^th September, the Azimut Challenge (23^rd to 25^th September), briefings in Les Sables d’Olonne… “Our schedule is indeed packed, but for the moment, I am managing to ease off at weekends,” concluded Jérémie.

(da www.vendeeglobe.org)