I felt quite comfortable and I think I was managing my boat well and my strategy well. But going back up the Atlantic it was really difficult for my group β we were closehauled for a long time in very difficult conditions, including in the last days, where conditions were the hardest of the race. You were neck and neck with others so not always alone.
Does that add to the pressure or is it reassuring to be with others? It gives you comparisons in speed and knowledge of whether you make good decisions. But at the end of the race it was more pressure. Like today with Sam Goodchild - it's part of the game to continue in a regatta mode. Even at the end I was afraid he could overtake me and the conditions today were very unstable. Sometimes we were at 29 knots and then we were almost completely stopped β it was not simple. You are the first woman to finish this 10th edition.
What does it represent for you? It's good for my sponsors because it will create more publicity about the project. More important is that for the first time there were six women with competitive projects at the start of this Vendee Globe. I feel like I have progressed in mastering the boat, to know it better and have learned many things about strategy.
I also had to do a lot of maintenance and repairs, which is not my strong point, so I have progressed in different areas of preparation of the boat during this circumnavigation.
It's all interesting and the next time something happens or I meet a weather situation, I will have the answer immediately. This is what makes the richness of this sport and is why Jean Le Cam is still so competitive at the age of 65 - experience is a determining factor.
