Goulven Marie, at the start of Med Max

Goulven Marie, skipper of the Lagoped Family, has made a new start: that of the Med Max. Story of a double-handed race alongside Nasser Arraiss, by the journalist Laurent François.

Final adjustments, tidying up the boat, preparing the sails... And finally, at 11am, the departure from the quay of the port of Port-Camargue to reach the starting zone: Qwanza Bexa took the start of the first edition of the Med Max this Sunday, September 29. The 16 Class 40s entered in the event will compete on a course of around 700 nautical miles, or almost 1,400 km. After rounding a buoy in front of Sète, they will set a course for the Balearic Islands. They will then have to pass to the south-east of Minorca, before heading west, crossing the pass between Ibiza and Formentera, then setting a course for Saïdia, in the north-east of Morocco . This is where the finish will be judged.

Pumped up, Goulven and Nasser are counting on their knowledge of sailing in the Mediterranean and its particularly changeable weather conditions to make the difference. A few minutes before setting sail, they were, in any case, showing steely morale and extraordinary motivation. They were planning to reach Minorca in two days, on Tuesday, October 2. If, of course, Aeolus doesn't fall asleep!

The battle is raging in this first edition of the Med Max, which set off this Sunday, September 29 from Port-Camargue. And aboard Qwanza Bexa, Goulven and Nasser are not idle. Right from the start, positioning themselves in the lead, they showed that they have the weapons to compete with the best. They were in front until they found themselves off the coast of Palavas: "The wind came in from our left and was less favorable to us," says Goulven. "As a result, those who were less on the coast than us were favored and we slipped to the back of the ranking. But we are still in contact. That is our objective. That is why we will not take any radical options."

Late in the afternoon, this Monday, September 30, Qwanza Bexa was neck and neck with the other "pointus" (*) entered in the event. Goulven and Nasser were about forty miles from Cape Cavalleria, located north of Minorca. They were making 7 knots, with a 9-knot southwest wind and a flat sea: "It's pure joy," assured Goulven. "We are 25 miles behind the leaders who are "scows" (*). We are sailing by sight. But nothing is done. Next night will be very technical."

Qwaza Bexa is expected to pass southeast of Menorca around 3am on Tuesday 1st October.

(*) There are two types of Class 40. Those with a V-shaped bow, called "pointed" as is the case of Qwanza-Bexa and those with a rounded bow, more modern, the scows. They are generally faster, especially when sailing downwind. On the Med Max a ranking will be established for both categories.

On board Qwanza Bexa, which reached Minorca last night and was south of Majorca early this evening, you need to have particularly strong nerves. Goulven and Nasser had to deal with an Aeolus that was not in great shape for a long time, forcing them to constantly manoeuvre, while being patient: "We were not successful with the changes in wind direction," Goulven regretted at midday. "Each time we got back to the boats in front, an unfavourable scenario set in. This morning, we thought we could overtake four boats with a wind shift to the east and it turned south..."

Despite their setbacks, the two sailors remained in contact with the fleet. Knowing that the race management took the decision to extend the course with, after having crossed the pass between Majorca and Formentera, a climb towards the Columbretes islands, off the coast of Valencia. Enough to spice up the battle a little more!

"It's always been the same since we reached the Balearic Islands, the first ones have been going straight through and we find ourselves tacking!" Goulven and Nasser have been dealing with a very capricious Aeolus for 48 hours. While it is indeed favourable to the crews who have taken the lead in operations, behind them, it's a real headache. Starting aboard Qwenza Bexa which kicked into high gear on Thursday 3 October before revising its copy, for the umpteenth time: "After passing the Columbretes Islands, we took 30 knots of wind downwind, explained Goulven this Thursday morning. We caught up with the group in front by betting on staying in the wind vein for as long as possible. But it didn't necessarily pay off. Those who stayed on the coast did better."

However, this was not enough to dampen the morale of the troops, with Goulven and Nasser catching up with the boats in front at the start of the evening.

By early night, Goulven and Nasser were about 125 miles from the finish in Morocco. And they were still desperately seeking the favor of Aeolus.

Enough to be patient and replay the match: "We looked at the map in fast motion to see where we had missed the boat," explains Goulven. "We can clearly see that after rounding the Colombrette Islands, we took a northerly route earlier than those in front who were able to stay close to the coast by benefiting from a westerly wind."

Qwanza Bexa is expected to cross the finish line this Saturday.

Aboard Qwanza Bexa, Goulven and Nasser are savouring every breath of an Aeolus that has really decided to complicate the task for the boats at the back of the pack. Everyone has to fight hard to make the sailboat move forward. At the end of the day, Goulven and Nasser were 60 miles from the finish in a fairly weak wind and they were tacking…

They should land in the early morning. If Aeolus doesn't fall asleep...

The adventure is therefore over for Goulven and Nasser who really had to fight until the end. The wind was absent in the last few hours. Qwanza Bexa even came to a complete standstill, with Aeolus taking a nap that was a little too long for the crew's taste. Fortunately, Goulven and Nasser, who crossed the line shortly after 5 p.m., were able to enjoy an outstanding welcome from the Moroccans. Enough to recover before of course setting sail again!

After a short break, Goulven will return to sea and line up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which will start on October 19.

He returns to Med Max, where with Nasser, they experienced strong and unforgettable moments:

What is your assessment of this Med Max?
The results are extremely positive. Being at the start of this race after all the adventures I have experienced in recent months (dismasting during the Transat CIC, Editor's note) was already a victory. On a human level, meeting Nasser, who is a good sailor, was fabulous.

A new mast, new settings… Did you find the boat more efficient?
The boat is fast, especially in light winds. The new sails are very well cut. And, the cherry on the cake, the decoration gives a great look to the whole thing. It's very photogenic!

What was the best moment for you during this race?
The start and finish were unforgettable moments. We won the start, but in the euphoria, we forgot to refocus when the breeze came back.

On the contrary, what are your regrets?
We were not very inspired in our strategic choices. The transition times between two weather systems are also part of the details that will have to be worked on.

How did you find the welcome from Moroccans?
The welcome was extremely generous. It was a real plus, obviously, to have Nasser on board. The Moroccan authorities appreciated that a Moroccan was taking part in the race. There is a real political will in Morocco to develop sailing and the Med Max was a godsend for everyone.

What's next?
Nasser is spending some time with his family. As for me, I am leaving with a friend to take part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race which is taking place in Malta. It is a very prestigious race which will bring together more than a hundred yachts, including Class 40s. Racing in such conditions will allow us to continue to progress in contact racing situations and to pick up the pace.