François Gouin, a French skipper entered in the Global Solo Challenge, successfully completed his qualifying passage and he’s making final preparations to be on the start line in A Coruña for his departure on 28/10/2023. As part of his “OKéania 2022-2025” project, he will serve as the ambassador for the values of Unicancer, the federation of cancer treatment centers in France, and the association Te Mana, te Moana in Polynesian, during his circumnavigation.

In early June, taking off his surgeon’s coat for eleven days, François immersed himself in his world of solo sailing, taking on the challenge of a 2000-mile qualifier. He set sail from Saint-Nazaire, a port in southern Brittany, heading towards Ireland. The trip was aimed at validating the work carried out during the winter, but it was also an important time to familiarize himself with the new configuration of his boat.

“The weather conditions were favorable and mild. The qualification went as planned and the boat responded exactly as I had hoped. I was finally able to get to know her better”, he confides.

Three days before departing for the qualification, François had organized an advanced medical training course for other GSC competitors. Phelipon, Scharr, and De Kayser took advantage of this unique opportunity to meet together in Pornic, a seaside town in Loire-Atlantique, and receive training from one of their fellow sailors. It was a significant moment of exchange and comparison among the skippers.

François organized an advanced medical training course for other GSC competitors. Phelipon, Scharr, and De Keyser
 

Setting sail on June 4, the first four days of Gouin’s qualification went optimally: “I chose easy conditions to test the boat. I started sailing as soon as the work was finished, and these favorable conditions allowed me to quickly adapt to sailing.”

Initially, there were some technical issues, and François had to recalibrate some instruments such as the Log and the Iridium connection. But within a few days, he got everything back on track.

Gouin and Scharr had decided to start the qualification together: one from Saint-Nazaire, the other from Arzal. They met south of Belle Île.

“I really enjoyed sailing with Robert. We spent the first five days within VHF range, seeing each other only once. Then, he set off south. The speeds of our boats were quite similar. Yako, his boat, is very fast and light. I could perhaps have pushed my boat a bit more and hoisted the spinnaker, but I didn’t want to take any risks.”

The GSC organization gives competitors the freedom to choose their route for the qualification. Kawan 3, François’ Class40, charted its course starting from the Brittany coast pushing 400 miles north of Ireland, with a steady wind of 15 to 25 knots. Afterward, it headed south, crossing the center of a small depression, a wet and foggy area, before encountering south-westerly winds, south of this depression center. After sailing around in the Bay of Biscay, avoiding calm areas, he headed towards Pornichet to complete the anticipated 2000 miles.

Gouin’s 2000-mile qualifier passage
 

“Throughout my qualification, I did not encounter any setbacks, which greatly reassured me and bolstered my confidence for the next stages of the project. I made use of every single moment of this qualifier to work on the preparations. I filled an entire notebook with notes on details to optimize the equipment, necessary adjustments to make life on board easier, strategies for more effective rest, managing clothing, among many other practical issues. I tried out various food packs designed for a period of 15 days, in view of my imminent round-the-world trip. I must say that the qualifier proved extremely valuable, both in terms of navigation and life on board management.”

From a technical standpoint, François mainly anticipates modifications to prevent wear and tear of the equipment. So, he will adjust how lines are led on deck to minimize wear and reduce the areas of friction of the halyards and sheets. He is also considering changing some pulleys and deflectors.
 

In his logbook, he noted some observations to capture the sensations experienced on board. “Sailing on our Pogo40S is a real pleasure. The boat is stable, fast, and the modifications we have made to the deck, such as the installation of a new elongated coachroof offering increased cockpit protection, the implementation of new circuits for running maneuvers, the winches and all the electronics, meet our needs perfectly. This solo ten, twelve-day experience proves fundamental for testing the physical and mental capabilities of the skipper, for evaluating the operation of every aspect during navigation, and for being able to make the necessary modifications to improve sailing.”

Regarding sleep management, François set off already tired, but after three days he had already found a good rhythm: “It was very reassuring for me to resume sailing and feel well in such a short time. I dispelled all doubts. You reach a certain point in the project where you ask yourself why am I setting off…? To face a challenge or really because I want to do it. During the qualification, I felt comfortable very quickly and wanted to sail. I adopted a fragmented sleep pattern, and initially, I was sleeping for half an hour, 45 minutes due to the intense maritime traffic up to Ireland. I got back into the groove and it’s pleasing to easily find my bearings and my rhythm at sea.”

The qualification also provides the opportunity to validate and examine the entire organization on board, including what to plan for food for the round-the-world trip that can last 5, 6 months or more. “I will rethink the fortnightly food packs that I had initially planned. I will adapt them based on the route: lighter foods in warm areas and more substantial ones for cold areas. As for condiments like oil, salt, or staple foods like pasta and rice, I will put them in separate plastic containers, without integrating them into the packs.”

This little taste of 2000 miles has allowed François to rediscover the pleasure of sailing solo and to confirm his motivations for a significant project like the GSC. “I didn’t communicate much during the sail. I wanted to focus, to be in tune with my boat and to discover it. I activated the Iridium GO to get the weather forecasts and to check that the computer configurations were working correctly.”

On his route, he encountered numerous ships and fishing boats. “I crossed the Ouessant traffic lane and a long line of boats coming from Ireland heading south, towards Cape Finisterre. You look at the AIS and it seems there are boats everywhere. I had beautiful encounters with dolphins and a little bird that perched in the cockpit and swayed on the forestay.”

François’s qualifier ended in Pornichet, with a magnificent sunrise in the morning fog. “Now, I am very much projecting myself into sailing to improve the numerous details, which emerged during the trip, related to comfort and safety, as well as emergency equipment. I will work in the hospital until the beginning of September before setting off for A Coruña, but I will continue to prepare the boat to ensure that everything goes well.”

To promote his message of encouraging physical activity both in cancer prevention and in the care of cancer patients, François has scheduled various activities. A conference will be organized by the healthcare staff of the surgical department at the Centre Léon Bérard in Lyon, where he works, and meetings are planned with the hospital’s physical activity teams, as well as lectures for young patients and their families.

In collaboration with another competitor, Louis Robein, who is also very active in the world of solidarity, François plans, before their departure for the GSC, to organize a day out sailing in September with the youth from the center, in collaboration with the Lyon sailing club. “I appreciate the spirit of collaboration and solidarity that reigns among us competitors,” commented Gouin.

François, as part of the OKéania 2022-2025 project, also supports and collaborates with the association Te mana o te moana, where his daughters Lou and Jade work. Lou gave us some details about the latest developments of this collaboration.

“We are developing an educational program for children of different classes and for young patients hospitalized. The objective of this program is to introduce the fauna and flora that François might encounter during his round-the-world trip, but also to show the effects of pollution on the oceans, particularly that due to plastic. François, therefore, will take pictures of various marine species that he will encounter along his route to send them to the classes. An educational program, focused on environmental awareness and geography, will then be developed from this photographic material. This program will also establish a link between the young patients and the students in the schools, particularly in French Polynesia, where we live.”

With this beautiful synergy between the sea and solidarity, we look forward to seeing François embark on his wonderful project and realize his dream of sailing around the world. As the skipper commented at the end of these eleven days at sea: “This qualification is a crucial step to allow me to arrive in the best possible conditions at the start line of the GSC on October 28th.”

Click here to learn more about the Global Solo Challenge

Image: ©François Gouin