Régis Vian, winner of the Cap- Martinique in solo format

Régis Vian crossed the finish line of the Cap-Martinique in Fort-de-France this morning at 07:39 hours (local time) after 21 days 22 hrs 39 mins and 7 secs of racing. A native of Le Mans in northern France, the skipper secured 4th place in elapsed time but takes outright victory in the solo ranking. Indeed, this 100% amateur transatlantic race is contested in corrected time to guarantee that the ranking is entirely fair for all the competitors. The victorious performance posted by this 52-year-old sailor is warmly celebrated by his peers. Aboard his JPK
10.10, he had what it took to keep one step ahead of his rivals despite them being on faster machines. Indeed, during the last edition, he earned himself the nickname MacGyver thanks to his ingenuity. This latest transatlantic passage reveals a sailor who is as tenacious as he is generous. Indeed, he has also been flying the flag of the École Jules Verne, based in Le Mans and a member of the Espérance Banlieue network to benefit disadvantaged youngsters. “Some students had never seen the sea three weeks ago. If one or two of them have seen the sea thanks to this project then it is all worthwhile,” he explained this morning in Fort-de-France.

VERBATIM

Interview with Régis Vian:

“It’s lovely to make landfall here. It’s somewhat ambiguous to say that because if you come here via the sea, then it’s something you like doing, but you’re also happy to get back to dry land. It’s kind of a mixture of everything. It’s quite unique.  I relished the final few hours of racing. It was calm, which are conditions we love sailing in. I savoured every moment. From yesterday evening it was easy and at that point you ease off a little. Prior to that, you have to be on top of your game the whole time. I was with the faster boats. I knew that they’d get ahead of me and that it was important for me to limit the damage. I didn’t really know that I was leading in corrected time. I knew I was well placed, but it’s vital that you don’t break anything. You have to keep an eye on everything. Every manoeuvre, you run through twice in your head before you do it for real. The day before yesterday, a shackle snapped. Fortunately, I was on top of it otherwise it would have cost me dearly. It’s all in the detail and I ensure I stick to a routine. When things go a bit squirrelly, that gives you points of reference.That’s something I saw in the Figaro. The motto is “Course, Trim, Tidy”. I tried to stick to that.

I corresponded with land frequently. Paradoxically, it’s a performance factor for me to be able to say that once a day I set 10 minutes aside to go over what has happened in my day, thinking about what I want to say or not say. That creates milestones in the week. It’s important and, to my mind, it is part of the
performance aspect to question yourself whatever the circumstances.  The toughest part? (silence) That was the 2022 edition! Everything is a bit hard, but that’s why we come into this. I didn’t want to get my revenge, but I did want to follow this project through right to the end. I’d set myself some goals, which I ticked off methodically. The first was to make the finish, the second was to have
fun and, if possible, to post a solid performance. I have been in partnership with the École Jules Verne since 2022. We repeated the operation this year and they came to a class all about the sea. I also did a reconstruction with the students. Some had never seen the sea three weeks ago. If one or two of them have seen the sea thanks to this project then it is all worthwhile.”