At the end of a breathtaking final and after a sometimes discouraging race, the skipper Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV) won the Vendée Globe on Thursday in Les Sables-d'Olonne.

"The moral of the story is that we must not let go," he confides at the microphone of Patrick Cohen on Europe 1. 

INTERVIEW

"It's a great revenge" in several ways.

Thursday, Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV) won the Vendée Globe, after a final sprint never seen in the history of the legendary single-handed race.

A victory with particular taste for the one who had had an unhappy start in 2008 and had to face many setbacks this year.

"The moral of the story is that we must not let go," he smiles at the microphone of Patrick Cohen, on Europe 1. 

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"It took me twelve years to return to the Vendée Globe"

In 2008, the race only lasted a few hours for Yannick Bestaven, whose boat had dismasted on the second day.

"It took me twelve years to return to the Vendée Globe," he breathes.

A comeback which started very well: this time, the skipper passed Cape Horn in the lead of the race.

Until things go wrong. 

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At the southernmost point in South America, Yannick Bestaven first had to face "very rough" seas, with ten-meter hollows.

"The entire foredeck of the boat was damaged" and some sails were worn out.

"I could not see how I could go up the Atlantic and keep the first place," he says. 

"I no longer believed in my chances of victory"

Then the wind just died down.

"I lost 450 miles in three days and on top of that, there was nothing I could do about it. (...) It was a problem of timing. I got to the wrong place too early, and when I saw everything the world would come back and pass me, I no longer believed in my chances of victory. "

"So we had to recharge our batteries, set short-term goals," Yannick Bestaven recalls.

"First, you're going to finish the Vendée Globe, that's good. Then, you're going to finish in the five, that's not bad. And then, gradually, there started to be places a bit higher to come back, to come and play for the win. "

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- Follow the arrival of all the Vendée Globe skippers in Sables-d'Olonne

"The Vendée Globe is an emotional lift", sums up the sailor, who trembled until the end: coming third in Les Sables-d'Olonne, he was declared the winner due to compensation, because he had participated in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier.

And to salute the attitude of Charlie Dalin, first to arrive in Vendée, who said he “fully” accepted the final result.

"I found it very fair. It's very sporty, because I know that somewhere, like any competitor, it's hard to leave first place when he crossed the line in the lead. "