What if the world of competition went green, even if it meant limiting performance?

How to remain competitive while protecting the ocean and the planet? On November 6, navigator Roland Jourdain will start the Route du Rhum for the fourth time in his career.

The Route du Rhum is a solo transatlantic race between Saint-Malo and Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe. An event he won twice in 2006 and 2010. This time, he will set sail aboard an 18-meter catamaran, called “We Explore“. An innovative boat from an ecological point of view since it was built in flax fiber. It was launched this week (May 5) at La Grande Motte.

“My boat is a big flax field”, laughs Roland Jourdain. The 58-year-old sailor wanted to be in agreement with the work he is doing with his company KAIROS on the development of biomaterials in ocean racing.

“It is absolutely necessary to encourage the use of biosourced materials in the construction of boats to limit the carbon footprint.”

Navigator Roland Jourdain

at franceinfo

The Quimpérois, now based in Concarneau, created an endowment fund, EXPLORE, 13 years ago to help young explorers develop greener solutions for the world of tomorrow.

Roland Jourdain admits that he was very marked by his collision with a whale, off Cape Horn, during the 2009 Vendée Globe. “I don’t blame the whale”, he said at the time, acknowledging that he was on his territory. Since, “Bilou” as it is nicknamed, has reflected a lot on the impact of man on the planet. Today he wants his multihull to be in a way the ambassador of the world of tomorrow, and encourages the world of ocean racing to reflect on the practice of this sport.

Several reasons led Roland Jourdain to take an interest in flax fibre. You should know that France is the leader on the world market. The country holds more than 80% of world production, which it exports mainly to China for clothing. Flax is grown on more than 75,000 hectares of land, mainly in Hauts-de-France and Normandy.

The sector generates more than 250 million in global turnover and employs more than 1,300 people for scutching, which separates the textile fibers from wood and bark, and combing, which eliminates all the small pieces. of straw and separate all the fibers from each other.

The exploitation of flax fiber for shipbuilding is not recent. “For centuries flax has sailed thousands of ships, explains Roland Jourdain. As an offshore racer I spent my time imitating nature, he said. All navigators are jealous of the dolphin’s fin or the albatross’ wing to design the foils or rudders of boats.”

Roland Jourdain believes that plants are a daily source of inspiration for the development of biomaterials. And to take the example of the grass which does not bend, which does not lie down and which does not break! Roland Jourdain worked for a long time on petroleum-based fibers with the University of South Brittany but also with IFREMER, the French research institute for the exploitation of the sea. They quickly realized that fundamental research opened up avenues for interesting experimentation before possible industrial applications.

This is how he turned to the exploitation of flax fiber. “At first I felt like I was back in the early days of carbon fiber”, he said. When we talk about linen and composite materials, we must also think of the resin which allows gluing and assembly. Roland Jourdain recognizes that there are still technological barriers to overcome for 100% biosourced resins to be used.

Several types of resins are used on the “We Explore” catamaran, as well as an innovative biomaterial, KAIRLIN, designed by the Kairos environment company in Concarneau. It is a real plant-based alternative to PVC-type plastic. This biomaterial has the immense advantage of being recyclable and compostable.

Roland Jourdain recognizes without hesitation that carbon fiber, which equips most competition boats, is by far the most efficient material because it is light and very resistant. Weight is the obsession of competitive sailors. Choosing flax fiber means getting out of this concept of ultra-competitiveness. “It’s a choice” he says with an assumed tone, even if he admits that his competitive instinct sometimes resurfaces.

However, he believes that it may be necessary today to think about adapting the regulations for offshore racing. Why not consider putting environmental criteria ahead of speed criteria? It’s a paradigm shift that could be beneficial for the planet.

“We all enjoyed racing at 5 knots (10 km/h), 10 knots, 15 knots and today 35 or 40 knots (74 km/h)” says Roland Jourdain.The ocean is our playground he said, we spend our time wanting to repaint the planet green, but painting is not enough, we have to move on to concrete actions”, continues the sailor who believes that the main locks remain habits and cultural fashions.