François Gabart, Gwénolé Gahinet and Jérémie Eloy, the media man on board, will cross the starting line of the Brest Atlantiques on 3 November 2019, and will then spend at least 27 days at sea on board the MACIF trimaran. How has the trio prepared for this long stretch of cohabitation?
The search for performance is a key phase in offshore racing, because it is both the goal and the guideline. For the Brest Atlantiques, knowing how to live together will be essential. The three crew members are about to live on board the MACIF trimaran in a damp enclosed space that is only a few metres squared.
Although François Gabart did not know Gwénolé Gahinet when he named him as his co-skipper, he already knew Jérémie Eloy who knows Gwénolé. This summer, the three well-known men set about creating a common sailing environment. “The human element is crucial in this type of event,” explains the skipper of the MACIF trimaran. “A very good sailor may well choose to sail with another very good sailor, but if the two don’t get on, it won’t work. This is true in all sports. You don’t create a football team with eleven of the best.”
The skipper’s ability to surround himself with people he can connect with has increased over time. Jérémie Eloy, the media man, Gwénolé Gahinet and François Gabart share “a kind of natural instinct, a mindset that is fuelled by the desire to enjoy a good performance, to look out for one another and in the ability to question oneself. We have the same energy.”
“We also share a lot of things in common,” Gwénolé Gahinet agrees. “We all enjoy surf sports and we have similar lives. We like to talk about music, food, our adventures and we agree most of the time, which is really important.”
“Do we need to set down some formal rules?” asks the skipper. “We are very flexible in the way we work, adapting to each other even when it comes to managing watches. We know what we need, so we work on feeling.”