How did the Ocean Race Europe project with Holcim-PRB come about?
I am planning a new project of my own with a new boat of my own to do The Ocean Race around-the-world in 2027 and the Vendée Globe in 2028. So to have the opportunity to sail on an IMOCA as part of the Holcim-PRB crew is a great opportunity. I did a year and a half with Charal [Jérémie Beyou] before the transatlantic [Transat Jacques Vabre 2023]. For sure, the level in this class is increasing every day – we can see that every day when we go sailing against some of our competitors – and so it's important for me to stay in the game, even if it's not my own project. I am also here because with Holcim there is a boat and a crew that can reasonably have the aim of winning the race.
What are your thoughts on Rosalin Kuiper and the rest of the crew: Nicolas Lunven (FRA), Carolijn Brouwer (NED / AUS), Alan Roberts (GBR)?
With Nicolas [Lunven (FRA), Holcim skipper in the Vendée Globe] knowing the boat so well, and with the great energy of Rosalin [Kuiper (NED), Holcim skipper for The Ocean Race Europe] I think there is a strong core to the team.
I first saw Rosalin in The Ocean Race with Malizia [Boris Herrmann (GER)]. I saw a lot of videos and I immediately liked her spirit and positivity. I think it is very important to have the right attitude in the crew when you are doing a crewed race – and she brings that. She is always smiling but she pushes everybody hard. She wants to know about everything on the boat. She is young, so she still has to learn many things, but I think it is important to have this kind of profile and new vision on the boat. She has changed my mind on a few things already.
I know Carolijn because I did one leg of The Ocean Race with her on Dongfeng [in the 2017-18 edition]. She impressed me then and I am very happy to be sailing with her again. We also have Alan Roberts [GBR] who is a good guy with a lot of skills.
So I think it is a strong team and I’m very happy to be part of it all.
Top left: Carolijn Brouwer Top right: Tom Roberts Bottom left Nicolas Lunven Bottom right: Rosalin Kuiper (skipper) | Images © Holcim-PRB
Did the boat undergo a major refit after Nicolas Lunven sailed it into sixth place in the last Vendée Globe?
Not a major one, because the winter was short. But we moved some things, we changed the balance position, and we have tried to focus more on the crewed racing setup. We have improved what we thought needed improving, but we are not finished yet. I think we have many things that we can improve on, and I just hope we have the time to do all that before The Ocean Race Europe.
But it's already a good hull, with good V2 foils. I think if we manage the boat well and trim it well, then I think we can be fast. But we know, right now, that we have to know the boat better as a crew. We have learned a lot from Nicolas, but he was in singlehanded mode for the Vendée Globe. Now we need to learn the best configuration of the crew for racing, learn how to tune the foils – all that sort of stuff.
Are you doing lots of sailing right now – or are you still preparing the boat?
Both, actually. Every day we sail and come back there is a longer job list. The big jobs are already done, but there are many, many details to be ironed out – on the aero side, for example, on the sails – and we are working on the foil tune right now. Also we need to improve the boat handling and the sail configurations we use while racing. Lots still to do.
What sort of on-the-water training are you doing?
The team is based out of Port-la-Forêt [Brittany, France] and there are many boats around from Concarneau and Lorient. Yesterday we had eight boats together – including Macif, Vulnerable, Malizia – and we did 24 hours of racing training. So we are already learning some things about our competitors in The Ocean Race Europe.
Which other projects are you involved in right now?
It’s a busy time for me as I plan to do the Transat Café l'OR with the Ultim SVR-Lazartigue. So I am doing some work with that team as we are making some technical changes to the boat and we are pushing hard to have the best boat possible in two months. It’s very exciting for me to come back to the Ultims. SVR pushes very hard on the technical side of things and – like with Holcim PRB – we have to learn the boat better. But we are starting from a good base.
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Let’s talk about your own IMOCA plans?
Right now I am at the commercial stage of the project, but it’s very exciting to come into the IMOCA class with my own team. It’s a bit like I did 20 years ago with Groupama and the Volvo Ocean Race. I am looking forward to having my own team and being able to drive it in the direction I feel is right. I think we did a good job with Groupama two decades ago and I think we can do the same again in the IMOCAs. Even though the competitors have changed the methodology we use and the spirit we have is still a good route to success.
The other attraction is that in the IMOCA class right now there is nothing certain about the right design and development route. I have some ideas that I think can improve what we have now. The truth is that there are lots of good boats, but there is not one boat that has everything – and that’s what I want to create. For me the construction stage is as exciting as the race itself.
Also, for me, The Ocean Race is as important as the Vendée Globe, because I have a nice memento from the last campaign I did with Groupama. Doing a race with stopovers feels more like a real race around the world. On the Vendée Globe you don’t see any countries – it’s Vendée to Vendée. I also like that in The Ocean Race you face all your competitors on the start line about every three weeks. That helps keep the intensity up throughout the race.
There's a deadline coming up for you in terms of construction of a boat if you're going to do The Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe. What can you tell us about that?
Yes the deadline for me is July if I want to have a boat launch in October in time to have a good campaign for The Ocean Race. Actually, when we won The Ocean Race last time, we launched the boat in the beginning of June for a start in October. That means the latest time to launch is about the first of October, 2026. So the countdown starts this July. I am working to find the money. But if this doesn't work then I will be too late for The Ocean Race. I don't want to work with bad tools. If I go for The Ocean Race I want to go with the chance to win. For that, we need a good boat, and we need the time to build this boat.
What is your level of confidence of being able to do both races right now?
Right now, it’s not better than 50/50.
You were involved last time with Orient Express and the America's Cup, if they go again, would you want to be involved in that program?
No, it's not at all in my plan. My focus is to have my team for the Vendée Globe. Otherwise, I would probably work in an ocean racing team. We never know what will happen in the America’s Cup world. But even if Orient Express does the 38th America's Cup, I will not be with them.
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