Safran relaunched

After more than three months of work, Marc Guillemot's Open 60 Safran was put back in the water yesterday in La Trinité-sur-Mer. Safran will be taking part in the SNSM Record next week before the two handed Transat Jacques Vabre, which takes place in November.

Among the work carried out during her post-Vendée Globe refit, included repairs to the keel, to replace the one that was lost during the Vendée Globe, the installation of a special hook system for the halyards designed by Guillaume Verdier in collaboration with the Safran Group, the fitting of a hydro-generator, developed by fellow Vendee Globe competitor Yannick Bestaven and worked on by Safran, which replace Safran's wind generator.

"Apart from these modifications and after taking the boat apart to inspect everything from top to bottom, we put the boat back in the water exactly as she was at the start of the Vendée Globe, with the exception of the specific gear that was required for the solo round the world voyage," explained Marc Guillemot,

So it was indeed a Safran that is very much ready to go, that was relaunched yesterday. An important symbolic moment, "as I really want to get out there sailing again," admits Guillemot. This is something he will be able to do by next week. "After taking part in the Bol d’Or Mirabaud in Switzerland aboard my Open 7.50, we shall resume training with a crew in order to get ready for the SNSM Record, which will start on 21 June."

This SNSM record will be the only competition for the grey and orange monohull before the major event of the year - the autumn's Transat Jacques Vabre. "It is indeed a rather light season in 2009," says Guillemot, "but it does leave us time to work on the settings of the autopilot, for example, which is something I'm very keen to improve on." This is certainly one improvement that will be useful for the TJV.

Meanwhile Guillemot is in the process of choosing co-skipper for the two-handed TJV. His selection will be announced in the next weeks. The goal for the TJV, is "to do at least as well as in 2007. If I want to do any better, it will mean winning the race, but that is after all my intention! 2nd in the Jacques Vabre, then 3rd in the Vendée Globe means there's only one place left on the podium!" states a determined Guillemot.

For the SNSM Record, the crewed training sessions have begun again to get ready. This event is organised to raise funds for the French lifeboat service and starts on 21 June from Saint-Nazaire. Alongside Marc Guillemot and two members of the Safran Sailing Team, Thierry Brault and Loïc Lingois, the crew will include Yannick Bestaven, Anatole Modaï, Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant and Gurvan Bontemps.

Meanwhile on 15 June, Guillemot will be attending the International Air and Space Show, where Safran has a major presence. In the evening, he will be dining in Meudon with children from the Auteuil Children's Foundation, of which Safran is a partner, as part of its charitable work. 14 children from the institution, all with social difficulties, have been following Marc and meeting with him regularly since the Vendée Globe.

And finally... Marc Guillemot and his wife, Christine, are putting the final touches to a book of photos of the Vendée Globe and Marc's experience at sea, which is due to be published by Glénat in October.