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- Hello everybody, yes I'm happy with my track, I'm also happy to be where I am, for sure
The wind is building up again for me, now I think that I'm on the good side of the high. Now I gotta be careful
and go as fast as possible to you, to France.
- We tell you, we are settle in Les Sables d'Olonne, and there's already people
and we are resolutely waiting for you. What are your actual conditions ? Temperature, wind and sea ?
- Listen, it's not bad ! We won't complain. The sea is quite flat, so we are downwind under spinnaker in 15-16 knots
There's still sun, we are in the high border, it's a little bit fresher than these last days
but it's just good, we just have vest and fleece jacket
that's perfect. Weather conditions if it could stay like this until Les Sables it would fit me well
but I think it will be a little bit different ! We gonna have quite a lot of wind and sea in the coming days so we gonna have to go carefully
but quickly also, cause it's useless to dawdle along the way, so we're going to try to do it the best way possible.
- François, Camille has a question for you.
- Yes hello françois, we had Armel this morning who told us that there was a few cargo ships on the way, is this your case, did you met some boats ?
- Yeah I've crossed .. this nigh not a lot, I've crossed one boat this night.
last night more. The day of yesterday I've crossed quite a lot of boats which passed really close
but there it was a little bit more calm.
But now, closing to the Azores archipelago, there is going to be a little bit more traffic.
and unfortunately, not only big boats, there probably will be small boats
So I hope that everybody will have his AIS turned on.
That all Azores' fishermen knows that there's IMOCA passing near them soon.
And that it will be okay.
- François, a question from Christophe.
- Yes François, it's starting to smell home however, I wanted to know if actually you were bombarded by pictures
of arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne, and if that's the case, do you protect yourself from it, or in the opposite, you welcome this prospect ?
- There's no harm in doing yourself some good. Thinking of the arrival is rather positive !
As I already said, the arrival, I'm thinking about this since two years.
since the Vendee Globe project has been launched with Macif, we built the boat, we did everything to finish the race.
to arrive to the finish line. So I'm regularly thinking about it since two years, and obviously I'm still thinking about it today
But well, I don't think that those are bad thoughts
I'm very lucid about the route still to cover and the conditions which won't be easy
I gotta be focused, I must not get distracted.
But well, thinking about the arrival from time to time is harmless, it's even good, and it would be bad to do without.
- Camille has a question for you François
- Yes François, you were speaking about vigilance
your are 1400 miles from the finish, 100 miles in front of Armel Le Cleac'h
does you lead allows you to play it safe until Les Sables d'Olonne, to be cautious and eventually to lift the foot if conditions are too complicated.
- So ... it's obvious that I'm not good to have big spinnaker in 35 knots
and I'm not going to sail ..eh .. I'm not going to take unconsidered risks
I never really took some since the beginning, but we are going to be careful, we are going to do everything to sail smoothly
we're going to do everything to do clean maneuvers
take time on the maneuvers, it's useless to try to wind a tenth of a mile
on a sail change by trying to do complicated things when we can do simple things
and well. Obviously, lifting the foot I don't know if I'm going to, but anyway sailing prudently, and being careful
and not force excessively, not go trying to sail beyond what I know being able to
Thing which could be different if I had for example Armel 10 miles ahead of me.
I would not have the same speech, and for sure I would certainly try more risky and complicated things
So well, we're not going to lift the foot, but we are going to be careful, we are going to sail, smoothly
and we are going to try to stay attentive and concentrated until the end.
- François, a last question from Alain Gauthier
- Which is not a question by the way. Earlier you were speaking about the fishermen who would be informed of the passage of the Vendee near them
Don't count too much on this however.
stay vigilant, cause you know like me that they have other preoccupations. That's true that next to the Azores there's small fishing boats.
So be careful still, that's true that between the Azores there's lots lots of people
so vigilance however, and don't trust too much the AIS
- Yes I'm going to be careful, yes
I'm going to be careful with the whales also, cause it's an area where there's quite a lot of whales, but as always, being careful with whales, it's good to think about it but ...
unfortunately there's not a lot of things to detect them ! I hope they are going to be nice with me and like Macif boat's colors
- Yeah okay great. François, last quick question, when do you see yourself arriving at Les Sables ?
- I think quite like you, I'm regularly going on the Vendee GLobe's website to find out about my arrival time
because there were informations before that I even knew about it.
No but, roughly this week-end, apparently before the cold front
rather violent which should pass Sunday. The sooner, it would be Saturday, end of evening, beginning of the night
and later Sunday morning I think.
- Ah ok. If we tell you that some are seeing you arriving Saturday morning, it's not reasonable ?
- Yeah Saturday morning it seems a little bit complicated, in regard of the weather situation
but it doesn't bother me ! If it's possible I will be there Saturday morning, no problem !
- Sold ! Bye François Gabart, Macif we applause you here.
because us we are already in Les Sable d'Olonne, in the village
François, travel safe, take care of you and the material, vigilance !