Gavignet backs changes

Saturday 07 November 2009 19:30 GMT

Frenchman Sidney Gavignet, a veteran of four Whitbread/Volvos, has given his endorsement to the cost-containment measures instigated by CEO Knut Frostad for the 2011-12 edition of the race.

"I quite like what Knut is doing," he says. "Having three under 30s is excellent. We need fresh blood no doubt. I have seen it with this last campaign (2008-09) - the young guys bring some youth and it is simple as that and we need that.

"You can also reduce the amount of sails and now people understand that furling sails aren't dangerous, and will use them. The boats themselves are very good, they are the fastest monohulls, so I think it is correct to keep those boats.

"We have seen that old boats can get good results. The boats from this last race could still do pretty well next time."

However, Gavignet would have preferred a reduction in crew numbers, he says in an interview with the Daily Sail. "When you see how many people can sail a 60, it is easy to see that you could sail with a little less people on the Volvo as well, which would drop the cost," he says.

Gavignet's first Whitbread was as part of Eric Tabarly's crew on the La Poste maxi-ketch in 1993-94. In 2001-02 he was with Assa Abloy and a member of the winning ABN AMRO ONE entry in the following race. In the 2008-09 edition, Gavignet was watch captain on PUMA.

Reflecting on the 2008-09 route and the likelihood of a number of similar ports of call for 2011-12, he says: "Where we have been sailing this year, are places where it is not ideal for sailing, because you go through the Doldrums too often and you go against the wind, etc. But I also think we have to go to China, because of the sponsors."

It came as little surprise to Gavignet that Ericsson 4 took overall honours in the 2008-09 event. "On paper it was as usual: preparation is key. It is the same as always: Preparation and a good boat.

"All the boats had their moments just Ericsson 4 had more moments than the others. And Ericsson 3 may have been even better than Ericsson 4. We had a good boat in PUMA."

Gavignet is delighted over the return of a French team to the race with the recent news that Franck Cammas and Groupama will contest the next two editions.

"I am happy that there is a French campaign, because it is normal in the world of sailing that there is one French representative in the Volvo, the same as it is good to have Anglo-Saxons coming into the Open 60s and Figaro," he says.

"I would join it depending on what I was doing. I am not pro-French, so if I find another team that is offering another interesting situation I might go with them. But I have done four races, I still love the race, even if this experience was a bit heavy." He refers to his early departure from PUMA, for reasons he isn't prepared to expand on.

The tensions on PUMA, and other boats, he says, was party due to the gruelling pace of the Volvo now: "I think the race format itself was harder. For me it was the hardest Volvo, because you sail more. The stops are shorter and then you have the inshore race. So you have a break and the break is very short."

Gavignet will make the switch to a double-handed IMOCA Open 60 with Britain's Sam Davies on Artemis when the Transat Jacques Vabre begins tomorrow.

Gavignet says that you always have to keep in mind the different stability profile of the 60, while the sail inventory is also different, even if the Volvo Open 70s are heading for fewer sails. "The approach you have on the Volvo to improve the boat - that is something you can bring on this kind of challenge," he says.

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