Still nice and warm in the changing-room

48 hours before the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre to Costa Rica, in Le Havre, this Sunday, Groupe Bel and her crew are all set to go. Smiling and accessible, Kito de Pavant and Yann Régniau are looking great. However, finding the right balance between concentration and external stress remains a complex equation, particularly when, a rough sea is brewing at large. The weather conditions are starting to churn in the Atlantic. When they move away from the European coast early next week, a large low will be waiting for them. Its trajectory still remains uncertain, but one thing is sure, there will be a strong wind (35-40 knots on average) and a rough sea for the start of the race. At the moment, the pleasures on shore have the upper hand on the hostilities to come. Let us look at the colourful variety of life in the cozy changing-room of the Le Havre dock.

Another storm at the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre?
When the start is early in November, tackling the first large winter low pressure areas is predictable. Two years ago, Groupe Bel and Safran (sailed by Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier) opted for a fairly northern route, close to a violent low pressure area, while the majority of the Imoca fleet sailed further south to look for lighter winds. The testing moments for the two crews were rewarded, after the storm, by a good lead on their contenders. At the finish, Safran won and Groupe Bel came in second. “We had a wind of up to 70 knots” recollects the skipper from the Mediterranean before adding, “For the moment, the situation this year is looking like it will be just as unpleasant.”

François Gabart and Sébastien Col, his ex-co-skippers together on the same boat!
For his 6th Transat Jacques Vabre, Kito will be up against his co-skippers in the last two races on board Groupe Bel: Sébastien Col in 2007 (6th) and François Gabart in 2009 (2nd), who are now sailing together on Macif. “I'm very happy for François. He deserves to skipper his own 60 footer. Together with Sébastien, they make up a fine duo, but this said, I would also be very glad to welcome them at Puerto-Limon” says Kito in amusement!

Zoom on Alain Carmand, the “vet”
Physiotherapist for the famous h andball team from Montpellier, Alain Carmand, who Kito has nicknamed his “vet”, has given medical advice to the skipper and his team for 10 years. Before the start, he has a very important role to play in the daily lives of the Groupe Bel duo, which he sees twice daily. Although the majority of the work is carried out before the race, Alain Carmand shows them exercises that are easy to do at sea, “The more we can compensate for their postures, the less they will tire or put themselves under great strain. In confined surroundings such as those on a boat, the body must be kept supple, so I have planned stretching exercises during the watches to relax the elbows, shoulders, hips, etc. They need to be simple and quick to do, so that they become a routine.”

Playing with names
Kito loves this! Names, nicknames, pet names, etc. From his assistance Zodiac, which he calls “little boudin” (little black-pudding), to his boat “Cochise” in tribute to the Indian and which is a nod to a certain milky cow when pronounced in English, they do not go unnoticed. A section of his wardrobe has also been renamed: “Babylight” for Code 0, “Code Thiz” for the small breeze gennaker and the best known of them all, “Spirate”, the famous spinnaker showing the Laughing Cow® disguised as a pirate.

Kids are central to the race!
Coloring, drawing, make-up sessions, meetings with the Laughing Cow® mascot, young sailors are honored on the Bel stand in Le Havre! “Are you afraid of storms? Do you stop the boat at night? How do you eat on board? The children often have simple direct questions which remind the sailors of the whys and wherefores of this extreme life. On Friday at 16:00, Kito and Yann signed posters on the stand, and again on Saturday, at the same time, the Laughing Cow® blew out her 90 candles before her proud vessel surrounded by its sailors!

Perhaps you do not know this?
>For the full week at Le Havre, Françoise, Kito's companion and the Groupe Bel team's logistician, is the one who prepares the food for the whole team. Sharing meals together quietly helps to maintain the team spirit!
>Groupe Bel will be fitted with a customized helm seat and chart table to fit Kito's morphology. These are being tested for the Vendée Globe 2011-2012.
>The freeze-dry meal that Yann prefers is Porridge, which he takes for breakfast. Fans take note!
>Loud speaker in the cockpit or headphones, in the middle of a storm or when it's really calm, music is often important to the atmosphere on board. Rock and music from around the world for Kito, rock and electro for Yann, the play list on board Groupe Bel is mostly Roc k n' variety.

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