Karine
Fauconnier is competing in the Transat aboard the Nigel Irens-designed
ORMA 60 Sergio Tacchini 20 years after her father Yvon Fauconnier
won the race. Sue Pelling caught up with her before the start to find
out the reasons why competing in this race is so important.
Thirty-two year old Karine Fauconnier spent most of her childhood
following her father around the world on the multihull circuit and
mixing with some of the world's most talented sailors. She was,
as she put it: "A baby fan of my father with great memories
from my childhood of Plymouth and Newport Rhode Island. I used to
love being on the docks and going from one boat to another and visiting
friends. I didn't really realise when I was little that races like
the Transat were so big."
Interestingly, Karine grew up with a feeling of resentment about
racing and when she was 15 years old after her father lost his sponsorship
declared never to take up racing. She said: "When he lost his
sponsorship I was really angry because I though life just wasn't
fair so decided never to race. As you can imagine it took me a long
time to come round to changing my mind. I think I did my first singlehanded
race less than 10 years ago when I was 23."
So in less than 10 years on the multihull racing Fauconnier has
become a competent sailor and notched up some respectable results
along the way including finishing third overall in her class in
last year's Transat Jaques Vabre. She was also a victim of the storm
during 2002 Route du Rhum race when her boat broke up five days
after the start halfway between Lisbon and the Azores. Interestingly
such an ordeal has far from dissuaded her from competing in such
an event again. If anything the experience has re-fuelled the fire.
She said: "I don't have any fear of such a race but I think
sailing these boats singlehanded is very stressful. I'm more frightened
when I see a spider than going out to sea. If I was afraid I couldn't
do this sort of sailing. It's more like a challenge. I can compare
this to a comedian going on stage, it's a sort of stage fright but
once you're out there it's fantastic. Of course when you're singlehanded
you're the only one to go on stage, it's even bigger and everything's
on your shoulders, nobody can help you if you forget your lines!"
Winning The Transat like her father did 20 years ago is obviously
Karine Fauconnier's aim at this year's event but she is well aware
she has a long way to go to reach her goal. She concluded: "I
hope to do well but sailing these boats singlehandedly is really difficult
and there'll be a lot of really good sailors out there. My hope is
that everything on the boat works well and I cross the finish line
on the other side of the Atlantic. To take pleasure in sailing it
singlehanded on this boat is a victory also. Of course I would be
very happy to do as my father did 20 years ago but I don't want to
put on too much pressure."
Karine
Fauconnier is competing in the Transat aboard the Nigel Irens-designed
ORMA 60 Sergio Tacchini 20 years after her father Yvon Fauconnier
won the race. Sue Pelling caught up with her before the start to find
out the reasons why competing in this race is so important.
