Zenith - Zenith, Spindrift Racing and the Route du Rhum
It's hard to understand what motivates people to do amazing things. Sure, I understand why people love to sail -- the grandeur of open water, the beautiful vistas, and the sense of peace.
But I cannot understand what motivates someone like Yann Guichard, the skipper of Spindrift 2, as he endeavors to race his huge vessel, single-handed, across the Atlantic Ocean, from Saint Malo in France to Point Pointe-a-Pitre, on the island of Guadeloupe (3,542 nautical miles). The Spindrift 2 normally has a crew of 14!
Luckily, I was in Saint Malo, thanks to Spindrift Racing's timing sponsor, Zenith, to witness the start of the race, the Route du Rhum, myself or I might not have believed it.
The boat, first off, is huge, and Guichard and his team have rigged a bike in the middle of it to help him with the arduous tasks of putting up, taking down and trimming the sails. They have also set his quarters up right in the semi-shielded-from-the-elements cockpit. Due to his duties during the race, Guichard plans to sleep about 20 minutes at a time.
Incredible, really.
To help celebrate this incredible race, held every four years, with 91 contestants (eight in Spindrift 2's category, the biggest boats), Zenith has created a limited edition timepiece, the Zenith El Primero Stratos Spindrift Racing Limited Edition. I was fortunate enough to wear the completely black timepiece with the carbon fiber dial (there is a rose gold version as well) during the day of the race. We chased the boat as it was racing, and I found the new limited edition to be comfortable, distinctive, elegant and sporty at the same time. Too bad Zenith didn't let me keep it.
The weather on that first day certainly wasn't cooperating, as it was rainy and cold. The rain stopped just before the start of the race, then Spindrift 2 took off right into the teeth of an on-coming squall. As the weather drove all of us spectators into the comfort of the cabin on the chase boat we were on, I couldn't help but think of Guichard, all alone, piloting his craft through the treacherous elements.
Still, having said that, Guichard loves sailing and what he does, so he was probably having the time of his life.
And, he was wearing that great Spindrift Racing watch.
"Time is everything, and at the same time nothing when you are fighting for your survival," Guichard says from aboard Spindrift 2. "During the first two days of the race I was unable to sleep, and had barely a chance to eat as all my efforts were required to keep the boat upright and avoid getting injured. With winds blowing at 45 knots, that's all you worry about. I use an alarm clock that goes off every five to 10 minutes to keep me awake. Of course, this is rather an unusual situation and I can't go on forever like this. Time becomes important when the weather allows, you need to time the right moment to sleep and to eat. After several days at sea, I need to keep focused and lucid, and maintain , my physical and mental energy.
"I check my watch very regularly," he continues. "I depend on the time to anticipate the maneuvers and plan the route I need to take. When I think about the time, I think about the next weather report that is downloaded, the route analysis that I receive and choices that I need to make."
Seeing the race firsthand and experiencing that rough first day (and the bad weather continued, leading to damage to many boats and a number of "abandons"), I still don't understand it.
But I certainly admire it.
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