The week after
It's been only a week since Conrad stepped back on land. A week on a cloud, trying to understand all the miles traveled, all that has been achieved. The same questions arise " Are you waking up a lot at night? Are your legs adjusting to being on land?" and the answers don't change " No, I sleep well, don't wake up at night, and I've felt stable on the ground since I arrived". The Kiwi skipper had to dig deep into his ressources and now sleeps like a baby, finally relieved of all the stress he endured during the race and especially in the last weeks.
It is hard to come around all that has been accomplished in 110 days at sea, solo, fighting to finish this Vendée Globe. After the intense satisfaction of crossing the line despite losing the mast, there are still some regrets about this 10th place. It seemed so close and yet so far, 700 miles from home and a few days before the finish. But the race was memorable and the lap is complete. It was the objective at the start so one needs to put things into perspective and look ahead.
The program? Tidy up, organize piles of equipment, put the many pictures and videos in order, talk with journalists from all around the world and look for new partners. Insurance companies have had their fair share of (mis)adventures in sailing and they don't insure masts nor sails. As a result, the team has to find the necessary financial support to put the boat back into sailing conditions. And Conrad is looking ahead as well " This Vendée Globe was an investment for me, an opportunity to show people what I am made of. My goal is to come back in 2020 with a new and competitive boat so I'm already looking for companies to build this project with me."
A week of holidays will sneak in between the many meetings filling up the agenda in March. Heading for the mountains to get a bit of fresh (but non salty) air and then he'll be ready to tackle the next challenge!
It is always good to put things into perspective © François Denis
