At the age of just 26 Tom Laperche is a prodigious talent. François Gabart recognised his huge potential some years ago, not least when he won the 2021 La Solitaire du Figaro.

Gabart clearly identified the very cool headed, intelligent and driven Laperche as a young sailor very much in his own likeness, possessing the same outlook, qualifications and hunger for success.

That Laperche is very much an ‘old head on young shoulders’ was immediately evident when the young Breton was presented to the crowds in Brest on Saturday. Since discovering cracking in the front beam of SVR-LAZARTIGUE his team have faced a race against time to have the giant blue Ultim ready for Sunday’s start of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest solo round the world race.

Laperche approaches his first ever round-the-world race seemingly taking everything in his stride. Even the substantial repairs carried out on SVR-Lazartigue, which should arrive in Brest next Friday, are deemed to be all part of the challenge.

“It will be part of our story,” says Laperche with a wry smile. After signing autographs, making a final pre-race trip to the barbers in Brest, he took the time to talk, first off revealing his substantial determination….

During the presentation on Saturday, you were able to see and feel the passion of the Brest public How did that feel?

It’s always nice to enjoy these special times. We see people in Brest and in this region following ocean racing. It something that clearly they identify with, it speaks to them, they are a people who are focused on the sea. It’s really nice to see such enthusiasm.

At the end of November, SVR Lazartigue announced that you had detected this structural damage on the front beam. Can you explain what happened?

When we returned after the delivery back from Martinique, during the comprehensive check of the boat we discovered a crack in the front beam. It’s not something you can see at all from the outside. So first of we had to understand how it happened, then to find a solution and implement a proper repair so that it would be even more robust and more reliable. There has been a very good synergy between the architects, the builders, the structural modellers and the MerConcept design office. To be able to repair in such a short time, with the quality of repair we have, is really quite a feat.

“But this will be part of our race, our story”

Were there doubts you would make it to the start line?

Yes, obviously when we checked the arm, we said to ourselves that it might be compromised. But I never wanted to believe that we wouldn’t make it, that we wouldn’t be there on the start line on January 7. But this will be part of our race, our story. We will remember this as a slightly special preparation for our round the world. We are still finishing preparing the boat, put it in the water and get to Brest for just a few days. We will have it all prepared but what we must remember is the energy put in by everyone involved. And we know that even after all this we will all have our share of worries and that the finish line is a long, long way off.

Listening to the what all six sailors are saying there is an obvious impression that this race has whole new, additional dimension, something more than what we have seen before?

Well in the end it is still a boat race, there is course to complete and the idea is to do it as quickly as possible. But above and beyond that you have to take into account the ability to manage all the technical challenges and to take care of your boat. The extraordinary thing is that this Ultim solo round the world has been done so very few times that there are a lot of uncertainties about how long it will take, how to manage your boat, the course We are going to go to sea areas where these boats very rarely venture to, particularly in the big south. There are questions and they are legitimate.

“Over the coming weeks François (Gabart) will be a great asset”

Considering the difficulty of this race it would be logical to think that everyone who gets to the finish of the race will be in some kind of degraded, deteriorated mode, with a boat that is not at 100% capacity. Do you think this will be the case?

Well, first off we have to remember that in 50 years the speed of boats has increased fourfold, something no mechanical sport has managed to achieve. And so the price we pay are the doubts which are inherent on a round the world race of this scale. I have great confidence in my team, in our systems, in our boat. There will be unforeseen, unexpected things happen, things that we have less control over, even if we have done all we can to limit the risks. But that’s part of ocean racing: working with the elements makes it difficult to account for all the variables. It is not at all like modelling an hour-long race on tarmac. There is no simple equation, you can break things and stop, you can repair small things to big things. So we really need to be strong and motivated to stay focused and hold the same level of drive and desire to get to the finish. And the theoretical speeds of the platform, even if damaged, are pretty encouraging.

You really have grown up as an offshore multihull sailor within the SVR-Lazartigue team. What did you learn from working with François Gabart on a daily basis?

It’s so hard to answer this question. He has become a good friend. But he has shown me and taught me a lot in terms of technique, tips, manoeuvrers but also in the relationship with the team, the mental aspect, all about being solo on board. With me he has played the key role since I joined the team and he will always have a very important role. And for sure he will be a really good asset to have in the coming weeks.

“I am someone who thinks, who processes…”

François often describes you as having a lot of composure. Does this mental state help you deal with the apprehension at competing in this race?

Yes, I’m pretty cool and pretty calm. For me it’s not fear. After all it was me who chose to do this race. And so above all I have a lot of desire, but of course there is an element of apprehension. But going into the unknown adds to my desire, to the appeal of this race.

Is there an advantage to being a rookie?

Well in truth among us there is really only Thomas (Coville) who is not a rookie on a solo multihull round-the-world passage. Being a rookie has disadvantages – experience allows you to better anticipate – but it does have its advantages. There will be times when we need to disconnect, to sometimes be a bit more carefree and to have less preconceptions and so being a rookie there can be helpful. But after all that I am someone who thinks, who processes. I am not at all the type of person to jump into things without knowing anything about it. So I will always try to have the best information possible and make the right choices. But for sure experience, especially here, allows you to anticipate better, to have a better vision of what is happening.

And so what is your objective at the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest?

The overall, main goal is to win the round the world race. But there are plenty of objectives along the way. And there are already a lot of key objectives, starting with repairing, being on the starting line, that’s part of it. Beyond that I have a lot of objectives in the way I manage this race to get to the end. But as I said before, the finish line is still a very long way off.”

by Arkea Ultim Challenge