After three days of racing, a rudder failure and several breakages forced him to make a stopover in La Coruña. Alexis Thomas, in consultation with Michel Desjoyeaux, who had entrusted him with the helm of the boat he designed, decided not to resume the race: a lucid choice, dictated above all by unfavorable weather conditions for restarting but also by the lack of competition and excitement of resuming the race alone, without an opponent.
A carefully considered decision
"It wasn't a simple decision, I can assure you I've been thinking about it for several days. I discussed it a lot with Michel, as well as with Martial, my mental coach. It's never an easy decision."
For Alexis, it's important to recognize when to stop: "At some point, you have to know how to persevere, but not to push yourself too hard."
His decision was also guided by an analysis of the weather conditions that awaited him:
"The weather conditions awaiting me on this return to the race would force me to take a very northerly route, even further north than the one followed by the competitors. There is a fairly well-formed low-pressure system off La Coruña, and the only way to get through is to head very north in very strong winds and cross seas, with new risks of damage to the boat."
Setting off again in this context, alone and on a different route from the fleet, is not the kind of race Alexis came for: "What I love about offshore racing is the adventure, but also the competition with others. Setting off on another transatlantic race in these conditions, without an opponent, is taking risks that, in my opinion, are not worth it."
Michel Desjoyeaux, who joined Alexis in La Coruña, supports this decision.
Alexis takes away from this adventure a strength for the future, and a desire to return: "Giving up is also about starting again better. It's a good mantra for the end of this project."
And since there's a Route du Rhum every four years, see you in four years.