from the Virtual Regatta game to the real start of the race, Basile Buisson’s “kid’s dream”

Will the fine sailor behind a screen become a skipper at ease on the waves? This crazy story is that of Basile Buisson, 34 years old, an officer in the merchant navy on a tugboat. A big fan of the Virtual Regatta online game since the last Vendée Globe in 2020, Basile Buisson was selected five months ago to participate in the Transat Jacques Vabre and become the co-skipper of Kieran Le Borgne, in Class 40 (Google Chrome ). The apprentice sailor won the From virtual to real competition, organized for the first time by Virtual Regatta and the organizers of the Coffee Route.

The native of Marseille was selected from 10,000 competitors and went through several selection stages, including, at the end, physical, knowledge and navigation tests. Having been sailing since the age of 7, “but always between buoys”, Basile Buisson discovers from the inside the very closed world of ocean racing. For franceinfo: sport, he returns to this “daydream”.

franceinfo: sport: You will participate in your first transatlantic race, thanks to the From virtual to real competition. It’s an extraordinary story. Do you realize?

Basile Buisson: Yes, it’s completely crazy! It’s a childhood dream come true. The kind of dream you think you’ll never come true. This is a first in the world of sailing, and even in the world of sport, even if an experiment has already been carried out in motorsport. This is a unique opportunity. I still have trouble realizing that in three days [l’interview a eu lieu jeudi]I will be on the starting line of the Transat Jacques Vabre.

You will take part in one of the most famous offshore races. Are you apprehensive?

Yes, obviously, especially given the weather conditions forecast for departure. It’s going to be very tough. We’re going to get shaken. And even a week after departure, we will have to grit our teeth on certain passages. Then, when we are in the trade winds, the boat will slide and that will be nothing but happiness.

You are associated with Kieran Le Borgne, professional skipper. How was your pair formed?

When the competition was launched, during the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2021, the organizers started talking to the skippers about it. Kieran heard about it and positioned himself to be part of the adventure. He seeks meaning in his navigation and he likes to pass on his experience of ocean racing. It was obvious to him.

You were selected only five months ago. How do you prepare for this race in such a short time?

It’s very short indeed. We prepared as best we could in this given time. We had crewed navigation preparation, in order to get to know the boat and the maneuvers in the best possible conditions. Then, we worked more and more alone, and carried out longer and longer navigations.

We also had preparation covering the technical knowledge of the boat. We are going to live in it, so we need to know it down to the smallest detail, especially to know how to repair it in the event of breakage. We also carried out research to find partners to support us in this project, which was also part of the race process.

“The world of sailing is a world that we know through the media, but experiencing it from the inside is truly a “wow” effect. It’s very impressive.”

Basile Buisson, skipper competing in the Transat Jacques Vabre

at franceinfo: sport

In this express preparation, did you also receive advice on how to adapt to daily life on a boat, in a cramped space, with micro-naps in particular?

For micro-naps, I had the best training with my child who is 1 and a half years old (smile). For the rest, the best preparation is to sail again and again. We didn’t have the opportunity to do any major sailing with Kieran. We only participated last July in the Rolex Fastnet Race, a qualifying race for the Transat, which lasted four days.

The conditions were very difficult, which was very educational. We thus tested ourselves, and we were also able to see if the boat was solid or not. We experienced a bit of every situation you could have on the boat. This race put us in condition.

You sail with a fourteen-year-old boat, with which Thomas Ruyant won the Route du rhum in Class 40 in 2010. Does this inspire you?

This is very reassuring, because it is a solid boat, which sails well, which is very honest. It’s nice to have a boat you can trust. Plus, I find it easier to learn on this type of boat than on new ones. For a first experience, it’s great.

What do you expect from this race? Do you have a goal?

We have one of the oldest boats in the fleet, so competing for the top spots won’t be easy. But with Kieran we will give our best, and all the boats that we can put behind us, we will put behind them. Our first goal was to be at the start, this mission is fulfilled. Now the objective is to arrive in Martinique.

Are you already thinking about what’s next? Do you dream even bigger and further, to continue this adventure in the world of sailing?

Our goal is already to succeed in this Transat and to benefit from this unique experience. For the rest, we will see. If I have an opportunity to go on other offshore races and continue sailing with Kieran, I will happily take it and the dream will only continue. Today, I seized an opportunity that allows me to live a waking dream. For the rest, we’ll see what the future holds for me.