LIFE ON BOARD AND NAVIGATION

 

Living in a space of 6.50 meters long for one month! As regards interior decoration, the 6_ meters of the Pogo do not leave much room for anything fancy. A bunk bed in the prow which is also used as a sail locker, 2 “coffin” bunks under the cockpit, a little card table and a small kitchen area. “No, there aren’t any toilets, but compared with the prototypes, it’s absolute luxury”, says Hervé.

The food

La Rochelle-Lanzarote, the first stage (about 10 days’ sailing), causes no real problems as regards food supply, although navigation is another matter as it can be very difficult. During the Atlantic crossing itself, however, (about 4 weeks) the matter of food storage is much more important. As there is no refrigerator on board, there are two possibilities:
- take dried food, which implies taking a lot of water to re-hydrate it
- take vacuum-stored prepared dishes which can be heated up as required on the single gas ring on board.

Hervé intends to combine both these methods but will not be taking canned food because of the weight and the amount of trash that implies. For your information, all Mini Transat competitors have agreed to keep their rubbish aboard in conformity with the “blue label” operation.

Sleep

This is one of the most important aspects of the regatta. Competitors need to be properly rested in order to make the right decisions regarding racing strategy and choose the right sails to use in specific weather conditions. As a general rule, Hervé manages to get to sleep very easily by means of sophrology relaxation. This is a great advantage, for he will never be able to sleep more than an hour and a half at a stretch. Usually, it will be about 20 minutes. On average, a Mini skipper sleeps 4-5 hours a day.

The automatic pilots, energy and GPS (global positionning system)

Hervé has three automatic pilots on board - vital equipment for solo sailing. The best one, an Autohelm 6000 linked to a gyro pilot, which ensures faster reactions and stability based on the position of the boat, is the same as those used in larger boats like the 60-foot Open of the Vendée Globe. Its nickname? Robin, like his son. And there is also a small sister called Julie, which is an Autohelm 4000. Finally, he has a simple cockpit pilot to use in an emergency.

Hervé has now a generato E10 offered by Honda Switzerland. This will be really helpful during the first leg, if there is no sunshine.

What fuel is used for these high-consumption instruments? Two solar panels, one overhanging the stern and one mobile one, as well as a gasoline generator generously provided by Honda Switzerland. It should, however, be remembered that on a Mini the automatic pilot works less well than a human pilot and that sessions at the tiller vary between 15-20 hours a day! Fortunately, Hervé has a GPS for navigation, which means he does not have to use a sextant to calculate his position.

The survival training

To prepare himself for the worst, Hervé followed in April 2001 a survival training stage of 1 day in Lorient. There was either theoretical and pratical themes.Judge by yourself:

Accidents psychology, physiology in case of survival (hypotermia, dehydration, sleep patterns) aquatic dangerous animals, security kit, life support equipement for individuals or groups, dereliction procedure, life in the sea in survival equipement, first aid box, boat or helicopter rescue. Firing of distress flares, jumping in the sea, swimming in the survival gear, and unfolding the inflatable liferaft..

Organised by the Centre d’Etude et de Pratique de la Survie (CEPS), the day course is given in the close down submarine base of Lorient. It is a "must" because it is given by people who do not hesitate to jump in the water with you. It is the same association who gave the course to the skippers of the Vendée Globe.