Time flies when you are having fun they say (or is it when you are manically rushing venue to venue and busy 24/7?!)- and that is certainly true for the Tour Voile this year. We’ve just had two days to compose our thoughts and reflect on what has come; and what is to come for the rest of the event. I’m sure the takeouts will be different for every team member but there are a few standouts for me.

This event has been an exceptionally steep learning curve- there is so much to take on every day, and at every stage. We can barely keep up with the constant flow of information, and still take it all on effectively! I’m so pleased that we are going through this though- it is exactly what I wanted out of this event and I know we have improved no end as a team thanks to it. I sound like a stuck record but this race is a multi-year project and the first year is all about learnings- we will keep coming back to this event, stronger than the last.

Leave no stone unturned; this is so true when it comes to an event like this- it will tear you up and spit you out if you let it- it exposes weaknesses in your mentality, your composure, and in how prepared your boat is; you cannot afford to put anything off- fraying lines will break, broken sail threads will tear, bent forestay pin retainers will cause your mast to fall down! You just cannot wait to fix things and you also have to have the resources and the knowledge to deal with problems on the fly.

There is no such thing as not enough training; you can always improve and we have been taught the hard way that you can just be training- you have to train right- for us this means training with the fleet, something we have not been able to do, and the lack of Diam on Diam experience has been a key factor so far in our racing.

But, this event has been absolutely incredible and there have been some great highlights- I loved racing in Arzon- it’s such a stunning place. No wonder the French love sailing so much when they have places like this to go and sail in! The coastal in Jullouville was great too- up to 20knts of boat-speed, loads of wind and great rolling waves- so much fun going downwind for hours in these conditions- it makes all the long beats up the coast totally worth it. The nautical stadium racing has been unforgettable- it’s a format for inshore I’d love to see more of. Fast, intense, punishing- one mistake and you pay dearly; however, the good teams always seem to come out OK in the end. The reaching start, windward gates etc- they all aid this spectacular close to shore set up that even non-sailors can get behind and get excited about watching too.

It’s a adventure too- overnight sprint road trips from stage to stage, camping in a tent/motorhome combo in an assistance village. It’s a bit like a massive road trip in fast forward, with world-championship level events jam packed throughout. The media circus and buzz means your feet never really touch the ground, and certainly for me this has been an incredible experience. Bring on the next half! Allons-Y!

Author - Piers Hugh Smith

Photography - Elliott Godden