"Oh dear, you can't imagine how happy I am, happy! It's been a week since I had a tear on my J2, it was really affecting my performance. I took advantage this morning because there was a little less wind and less sea to go up there and put a patch on. I'm drenched but happy! It had been bothering me for days, I could see I had a tear, I couldn't use my J2. I had been using my little gennaker and not been able to use my all-weather sail. I had prepared all the things I needed before going up, the pieces of Cuben, acetone, sikaflex, glue, scissors... I put the J2 upwind, unfurled it against the wind so that the sail would rest on the mast. And then I put on my helmet, my climbing gear, I took a small Doliprane (painkiller) because I have a bit of sciatica and I said to myself "come on, you have to climb, it's now or never". It's a small victory, I have a new boat now, just like at the start in Les Sables d'Olonne. It's great! I had to stop for an hour and a half in 5-knots of downwind. I'll have a little Champagne to celebrate! I didn't say anything to anyone, but I was completely preoccupied by it!

It is good for our little group as we never stopped. We're going to get wind as we move forwards and we we'll get more wind along the ice exclusion zone limit. We're going to continue to build the gap on the group behind; that's the aim. I had seen that the area of light pressure was catching up with us, that's why I used the little gennaker, a bit on the limit, it wasn't comfortable, and I had to be careful. I had to follow so as not to be caught up in the light patch with no wind behind. I did not know about Charlie (Dalin) but I could see he was slowing down. I'm not surprised! They are faster boats; they should have better averages than me. I suspected he had a problem, but I think Thomas (Ruyant) is doing well anyway. My foils aren't very big, but they are strong!”