Isabelle's viewpoint

Open 60 legend Isabelle Autissier discussed the present Vendee Globe with thedailysail

When it comes to Open 60 sailing few women are more revered than Isabelle Autissier, even if her career in round the world racing has been a checked one. Autissier competed in the 1996-7 Vendee Globe but was forced to retire to Cape Town with a broken rudder. Prior to this she competed in three BOC Challenges, finishing seventh in the 1989-90 race, winning the first leg in 1993-4 before dismasting, remasting and dismasting again on the second leg, and finally capsizing mid-Pacific in 1997-8 on which occasion she was valiantly rescued by Giovanni Soldini. In the 1993-4 race Autissier's Open 60 was significant for being the first boat with a canting keel to compete in a round the world race. After her first and last attempt on the Vendee Globe aboard PRB she retired from singlehanded Open 60 racing.

In Les Sables d'Olonne last week Autissier gave her thoughts on the present Vendee Globe:

thedailysail: How will this Vendee Globe differ from the last ones?

Isabelle Autisser: I wouldn’t say it will be so different. It is always the same story: one person, the oceans, round the world. The boats have changed a lot since the beginning. Even from my PRB and then Michel’s one and the new one, you can see the boats are more and more efficient and safe and of course quicker and quicker.

The second evolution I can feel is the first Vendee was seen as the ultimate race and the race you were supposed to do at the end of your career. You were supposed to race for years and years and then do the Vendee. And that has changed because the Vendee is now a race. The first Vendee was more of an adventure. Now it is really a race, so you find some young skippers like Vincent [Riou] - he is experienced but not like someone like Philippe Poupon or whoever. So this has changed the spirit of the race. But it is okay. I am pretty confident that these new young people, they have learned very quickly than we did by doing the Figaro and all the training at Port la Foret and they have more efficient quicker than we were able to.

TDS: Do you still get the feeling you would like to be out there doing it.

IA: Absolutely not! I could have been. Even four years ago when I decided that it was the end for me, it was enough, I could have been there. I am quite confident that I would have been able to find a sponsor. But I have been around the world four times which is enough for one life time. I have a lot to tell my grandchildren - when I get some! And I am involved with different activities now. But of course I feel very close to this, not just the Vendee but the Open 60s. I had great pleasure doing the BOC and the Vendee and I really love these boats - they are clever boats. And I am very close to the skippers. So I am happy being in Les Sables d’Olonne, but not doing the race.

TDS: What are you up to at the moment?

IA: I am still racing from time to time. I did the Transat Jacques Vabre last year [sailing with Sebastien Josse on VMI] and I am doing some races, but just for fun now. I am not that involved in the projects. I am just joining a crew somewhere and doing a race.

Otherwise I am doing a lot of adventure cruising and I really love the ice. I have been in South Georgia, Antarctica. This year I have been Alaska. Two years ago I was in Greenland, so I like that and I am about to buy a boat for myself - an aluminium 50 footer which is anchored in Ushusia. And out of all these experiences, I am using all these stories, racing or cruising to do more writing, which is something I really enjoy. Telling stories. And I’m working for the French radio station France Inter. And I am working on a book about Kerguelen. I had the opportunity to do all these wonderful things and to go sailing where nobody goes and I am happy to communicate that because it is so important to have a dream in your life and to be able to imagine how it is everywhere.

TDS: Do you have a company that does the adventure cruising?

IA: I have worked with other people up until now. But now that I have bought the boat it might change. Philippe Poupon has stopped, because it was too big for his pocket. That’s why I am not sure if I will start a company. I’ll do it for myself first of all. Peter Blake did it but it was quite different. If it is a big boat like Philippe wanted it is a lot of work so it is hard to find a good balance.

TDS: I remember in previous Vendee Globe you had issues with the race organisation. What do you think of the new regime?

IA: I don’t know if it is because the race direction is different, but it is very quiet and it seems an easy going start. There are no real discussions. You always have some little problems like the waypoints [compared to previous Vendee Globes there has been a more conscientious effort to keep the boats north in the Southern Ocean by adding obligatory waypoints]. And most of the baots are ready. When you discuss with the skippers they feel alright and there is no main conflict. In fact nobody needs that, people don’t want to hear about fights, so I think it is better for the Vendee.

TDS: If you were going to do the Vendee Globe which boat would you take?

IA: I think Bilou’s one [the new Sill et Veolia]. For me it is a good compromise between a powerful boat and an easy boat to manage. Mike’s boat [ Ecover] is wonderful, but it will be very difficult around the world. It requires you to be so precise. But I am confident with Mike - he made that choice himself.