Ultim Arkéa Challenge: “I’m finally starting to see the end of it,” relishes Caudrelier

Large leader of the Ultim Challenge after forty days at sea, skipper Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) spoke to AFP of his apprehensions at the start of the final stretch towards Brest, where he is expected before the end of the month.

“I have already made it up the Atlantic, but the time is starting to get long. It's particularly long for me, because I've had terrible weather since passing Cape Horn. I had already had to wait before being able to pass it and, since then, I have sailed with no wind or with a headwind... it's quite painful to be honest!

But it's a little better now, the sea is completely flat, it's relaxing for me and for the boat, despite the heat. We continue to lose miles on our pursuers who are going faster than us, but nothing dramatic at this stage.

I am still in the emotions of my passage of Cape Horn (February 6, editor's note). It might be a bit trite to say it like that, but it's like I came out of a big hallway. I experienced it as a real relief, for me, for my loved ones and for the team.

I was lucky enough to pass just two miles from the rock with great weather. I was able to admire it, take full advantage of it, relax. It was my first solo, my first at the head of a race and the first in history alone aboard a flying Ultim: we are writing another page in the legend of this boat.

I always said that he would mark his time this Gitana 17. He has already done it in fact, but now all that is missing is a small stone, the final victory, to show everyone that we will have really accomplished everything with this sailboat.

When passing Cape Horn, I wanted to primarily thank Benjamin and Ariane (De Rothschild, the owners of the sailboat, editor's note) by writing their names on a board for the photo. They believed in this project, they invested intelligently and they trusted me since 2019 by betting on the team, on me and on the long term.

Without them, flying Ultims might not exist! I waited 45 years to find a sponsor like that, at the beginning I was too young, then not well known enough... I realize how lucky I am today.

I've been at sea for more than 40 days, and for the moment, I'm coping very well with solitude! I admit to experiencing this world tour a little selfishly. I put myself in my bubble, I don't have much contact with the earth. I experienced this period even better because, a month before departure, I almost gave up on the world tour for personal reasons.

But I'm lucky to have children who told me: ''Go ahead dad, it's important to you''. So, when we set off from Brest on January 7, I was already in a form of zenitude, because I was close to losing the race even before the start.

On board, I still have no time to bother. I work a lot on the condition of the boat, making small repairs. I know that I'm on course to win this race if I don't have any major damage, and so all I can think about is that, it makes me tense... I have an anxious personality!

But I'm finally starting to see the end of it. We have the first routes for the arrival now and normally, there is good weather all the way to Brest.

There remains one last trap to avoid, myself: the tired sailor who makes a mistake, a mistake, which leads to breakage, a hasty action. My main objective is to take care of the boat, the man. You have to stay focused and above all, above all, not get excited yet.”