In Cancale, freshwater sailors have a crush on the skippers’ “spirit of freedom”

From our special correspondent in Cancale,

Everyone is looking in the same direction. In the distance, very far from the Pointe du Grouin, we can see the 138 competitors who are about to take the start of the Route du Rhum. On the coastal path of this sumptuous wild site, we are far from the crowd that was expected on Sunday. Postponed this Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. due to catastrophic weather conditions, the big start will finally take place under a bright sun and a nice breeze sufficient to push the skippers towards Cape Fréhel and their crossing of the Atlantic. Turquoise water, blue sky, cheeks reddened by the autumn wind. On land, the curious came in small hundreds to enjoy this spectacle offered every four years off Cancale. Navigators? Not really. Of all those we interviewed, only one had sailed before.

His name is Raphaël and he came from Rennes with three of his friends from sports management school. His big experience? An Optimist internship when he was a kid. Solid. He, like many others, knows little or nothing about sailing. But like the others, Raphaël is admiring: “it’s courageous what they do, they risk their lives. “Beside him, Jeanne goes in the same direction:” it’s a life that is not banal, they are far from their family, they leave alone. Me, I couldn’t. His friend Elliot is a little more savvy because local skipper Gilles Lamiré is part of his extended family: “I admire them so much. Me, the sea doesn’t love me, I’m seasick.”

He is not the only one. Arrived from the Eure, Chantale makes the same confession to us: “I went on a cruise once. I was sick as ever. La Normande came to the Pointe du Grouin to accompany her friend Sylvie. “Me, I would dream of going sailing on one of their boats. If you could offer me an hour on board, I would kiss you,” she confides. Not having this magic power, we did not have a kiss but we continued the conversation. “I am here in honor of my husband. He would have dreamed of seeing the start of the Rum, the boats, that fascinated him. It’s been eighteen months since I booked accommodation to see this,” adds Sylvie.

The skippers, “a spirit of freedom and escape”

Many did like her but saw their plans thwarted by the postponement of the start, a first in the history of the race. For Arnaud and Nathalie, it’s the “third or fourth” departure from Rhum. Originally from Sarthe, they are fans of mechanical sport. They were there on Sunday for the start but came back with their grandchildren Camille and Valentin to enjoy the show: “They are so brave to face this alone in the face of the elements, I am in awe. Her husband agrees. He is fascinated by the “spirit of freedom and escape” conveyed by skippers. Many of them are in this situation. But few know what a spinnaker is, a gybe or how to slack your sail.

Since the exceptional Vendée Globe of 2020 during which Europe was confined, sailing has taken on a new dimension. Very technical, this sport that was described as “rich” has remained popular with the general public. In the eyes of all, he fascinates. “Around us, everyone is talking about it. We wanted to see what it looked like more closely, ”explain Béatrice and Yannick, from Lower Normandy. Do they know the name of a skipper taking part in this 12th edition of the Route du Rhum? “None,” they reply with a smile. Next door, Nelly and Patrice make the same confession: “We don’t know anything about sailing. We wanted to avoid the Sunday crowds so we arrived in the evening. We hadn’t planned to come. We are curious. We want to understand why people come to see this. »

At 2:15 p.m., the 138 skippers entered will cross the starting line off the tip of Grouin. On land, hundreds of curious people will watch them leave in a mixture of fascination and incomprehension to see these sailors cross the Atlantic alone. The fastest will spend less than a week there. The others probably a good month.