Hong Kong (AFP)

It is at tea time, Saturday afternoon, that Francis Joyon (IDEC Sport) will send the whole canvas to Hong Kong for the ultimate challenge of his Asian tour: breaking the record for the legendary but tricky "Route du Tea ", to London.

A course of 13,000 theoretical miles (24,000 kilometers) on which, in the 19th century, the majestic clippers fought to bring the first in the British capital their precious cargo of tea, in a trade which, with opium, contributed to the insolent rise of young Hong Kong. These clippers then took a hundred days to complete the crossing.

These offshore races, which were even the subject of betting, fell into disuse with the advent of steam at the end of the 19th century, a century before contemporary sailors gave it back its nobility.

It is two years since the Italian Giovanni Soldini (Maserati) established the last reference time (36 days, two hours and 37 minutes) on a route little known to the general public, but which Joyon considers as one of the most demanding.

"If the records had to be prioritized, this course would come in fourth or fifth position," he told AFP in the prestigious Royal Yacht Club of Hong Kong (RHKYC).

- Crowded China Sea -

"We would prioritize round the world, Atlantic crossings. But this type of record would arrive fairly quickly because it is a fairly long, fairly difficult journey, which in addition has a historical reference and a recent reference in terms of performance. "

Complicated on this subject to contradict a skipper who, at 63, has beaten almost all of them, the records.

Holder since 2017 of the Jules-Vernes Trophy, which rewards the fastest round-the-world trip with a crew (40 days 23 hours), he also twice held the solo record (2004 and 2008).

A year after having reminded the world that he also knew how to race, by winning the Route du Rhum after an epic final against François Gabart (Macif), the navigator launched himself in the fall in a hearty program of records between Europe, Africa and Asia, with this "Tea Route" for dessert.

However, the pitfalls are numerous at the start of a route rarely used by major ocean races.

It will first be necessary to cross back over a crowded South China Sea, the scene in 2018 of a tragic collision between a sailboat of the Volvo Ocean Race and a fishing boat which had resulted in the death of a Chinese fisherman.

- The Sunda Strait petole -

"There are a lot of obstacles," explains Joyon, who on the way out, like his four crew, was surprised by the presence of thousands of fishing boats even offshore.

"We got caught three times in the nets. We even crossed a real village of bamboo houses built on the sea."

Another trap is the potential windfall (lack of wind) in Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, while IDEC Sport, heavier than Maserati, is much less cut for light weather.

"If a calm zone is positioned on the Detroit, the boat may be stopped one day, two days, three days," he worries. "Like the tall ships of yesteryear."

Then come the Indian Ocean in the middle of the cyclone season. However each cyclone is followed by zones of calm ...

"We will try not to fall behind on the first part of the journey", announces a Joyon convinced that the record will be played "on the ascent of the Atlantic", and modest on the objective.

"If we do a minute better than Giovanni, the record will be broken and we will be happy," he said with a laughing eye. "If we do one more minute, we will have lost."

Difficult here too to contradict it.

© 2020 AFP