Edict of November 5, 2022: The race organization has announced that the start of the Route du Rhum would not take place on Sunday because of the weather, but most certainly “Tuesday or Wednesday”.
Aboard his boat, the LinkedOut, moored in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), Thomas Ruyant seems serene. However, it is only a few days away from the start of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. This is his second participation in the famous race, after having won it in Classe40 in 2010.
For 20 minuteshe talked about his preparation for the race, his life on board the boat, as well as his favorite dishes to eat, in the small kitchen of his ship.
How is life on board a boat during a crossing?
Life on board must be made easier, and that’s how the boat was designed. We have a central seat inside, with the electronics around it. From this position, I can switch very quickly to the outside. I have a small stove for cooking. Everything is prepared in advance, with a dietitian, to make it easy. I try not to eat too much sugar, because it can put me to sleep. My favorite dishes at sea are coq au vin and carbonade flamande! [Les bateaux de traversée] are quite hard and violent to navigate, and it’s important to have everything to hand and to have everything ready, so as to have less to think about. For sleep, we sleep in the form of small naps. Over 24 hours, I will sleep between four and six hours, in the form of a nap of 20 to 30 minutes. It will depend on where I am on the ocean. I have a small alarm clock, with a playlist and flashes of light. And if I don’t wake up, I have a big siren that’s going to pull me out of the bunk.
Describe a typical day during the Rum Route…
The day will be punctuated by the weather and the maneuvers that we will perform on the boat. We will process and analyze the weather data, to come up with the best possible route. And according to that, we will punctuate our day. On my route, there will be times that are better for sleeping, others when I will have to stay awake, because there will be a maneuver or a significant change in the wind. Meals also punctuate the day, I try to eat at fixed times. I also listen to music and podcasts. During the Vendée Globe, I have films on board. It’s also part of the performance to know how to decenter yourself from the boat, to get out of the competition a little and to return there with the desire.
How do you manage the moments of loneliness at sea?
Loneliness is quite relative, because we are alone on the boat, without possible assistance. On the other hand, I still have means of communication: I use WhatsApp on board. But I need to find myself in this solitude to become one with my boat, with what is happening around me. I am not very fond of excessive communication with the earth. My personal telephone is also cut during the races. Loneliness can be managed, but when you go on a Vendée Globe, you shouldn’t think about the 80 days, but go objective by objective, and it goes better that way.