“LIKE BEING on another planet.” That’s how legendary French offshore yachtsman Roland Jourdain described the sensation of sailing into Dublin Bay on a super yacht which is set to “dominate” future transocean racing.
The 70ft Veolia Environnement which has berthed in Dún Laoghaire is one of an elite of only 12 high-speed trimarans of its type in the world.
Jourdain’s passage from Brittany to Ireland is a test run for the new MOD (Multi-One Design) 70 vessel which boasts “eco-responsible” credits in its use of recycled materials where possible.
He is due to compete with a sister boat in the forthcoming Fastnet race. Jourdain is a veteran of many transatlantic and round-world races.
The yacht can make speeds of up to 30 knots, but that’s when “one can begin to get a bit stressed”, he told The Irish Times. “The record is 34 knots, and it is easy to make 24-26 knots by trimming the sails, but it is very slow if there is no wind,” he said.
“It is not good to like routine, or be too fond of habits when sailing this boat, because every sailing day is a new experience.
“Even in French, it is difficult to explain the sensation on board, but it is like being in a rocket or a submarine, in another space/time zone,” Jourdain said.
“You can only live, sleep, eat, sail and think a lot about life.”
Capsizing is not really an option on a vessel of this size, as it is more than likely to break the mast, he said.
“Anyway, capsizing would be too boring.”
Jourdain is a veteran of 60ft monohull racing, including the Transat Jacque-Vabre, the Calais Round Britain Race and the Solitaire du Figaro.
The yachtsman has been twice winner of the Route du Rhum.
Born in Quimper in 1964, his offshore racing career dates from 1985 when he competed in the Whitbread (now Volvo) round world yacht race with the late legendary Eric Tabarly.
During the Vendee globe race of 2008-2009, his boat was damaged by a marine mammal, but he effected a makeshift repair.
Just three weeks later, he lost his keel but still managed to sail 600 miles towards the Azores before weather forced him to retire.
Jourdain and crew took employees of Veolia, the transport, energy, water and waste management multinational, for a trial run in Dublin Bay late this week.
The Veolia Environnement company employs some 1,000 people in Ireland and 317,000 globally.
Veolia has sponsored Jourdain’s sailing career since 2004.
The 42nd annual La Solitaire du Figaro single-handed French sailing race which Jourdain competed in – and visited Ireland before – is due to arrive in Dún Laoghaire from Caen on August 10th, weather permitting.