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In a good mood before departure: Alan Roura on his yacht «La Fabrique». Image: keystone
Far from Corona: Alan Roura sails the world alone
Alan Roura will set sail to go around the world on Sunday. The 27-year-old from Geneva aims to be in the top ten in the Vendée Globe.
Alan Roura sets sails for the toughest race in the oceans for the second time. In 2016, with an antiquated boat and a modest budget, his only goal was to finish the competition.
The interview after the premiere:
This time the conditions are better. His 18-meter-long yacht is older, but he has already tested it several times in regattas and has optimized it over and over again. “The performance of the boats will be different. There will be others faster than mine. But the plan was always to rely on a ship that was not so powerful on paper that you could sail 100 percent to the limit, ”said Roura, who lives in Lorient, Brittany, year-round.
In 80 days around the world
The sailor, who recently became a father, plans to embrace his family again after 80 days, four weeks earlier than when he arrived in 2017. The Swiss thus pursues a very ambitious goal that only five sailors undermined. But yachts of the so-called Imoca class are becoming more and more efficient. In 2017, the winner crossed the finish line after 74 days, in 2013 after 78 days, in 2009 after 84 days and in 1993 after 110 days for the first edition.
Ascent to Everest from the world’s oceans, where the best sailors compete every four years, demands everything from the players. Fighting against the wind and weather and constant fatigue allow sailors to overcome the limits of human endurance. Despite the autopilot, skippers will never sleep soundly and hardly turn a blind eye during stormy conditions.
Visiting your yacht:
Small repairs on the ship, monotony, nostalgia, hard physical work or studying weather maps shape daily life. Solo sailors cannot use the help of an advisory team on shore, but must plan their route based on information from race management or internet data.
Participants will travel around 25,000 nautical miles without the need for outside help or going ashore. The departure and arrival point is Les Sables d’Olonne on the French Atlantic coast. Eight fixed virtual doors must be passed. The course first passes through Kalmen towards South Africa to the Cape of Good Hope. It then goes to the Indian Ocean 1,000 nautical miles south of Australia and New Zealand, around Antarctica and across the Pacific to Cape Horn. After crossing the southern tip of South America, you will again take a north course to the port of departure on the Atlantic.
More starters than ever
The starting shot in the fishing village will be given on Sunday afternoon at 1:02 p.m. At the 9th Vendée Globe, however, due to the crown, there was a lack of spectators to applaud the parade of the ships that left the long canal. The record number of 33 yachts, six of which are controlled by women, set out to conquer the world single-handed.
The best Swiss rankings are for Dominique Wavre (4th 2005, 5th 2001, 7th 2013). In the eight events to date, 167 yachts have sailed, but only 89 of them have reached the port of departure. Tasks due to material wear or floating debris accidents are part of the game.
More about the subject:
The Frenchman Armel Le Cléac’h, winner of 2017, will not start. Britain’s Alex Thomson is the first contender for victory on paper, finishing second four years ago. But the sea will have a voice in choosing the winners.
