Français
It's nearly two o'clock in the morning and the atmosphere in the Transat finish village is still relatively calm. Courageous volunteers from the SB Artists association continue to man the deserted bar, while the first spectators begin to spread out along the quayside. But on the map, which allows you to follow the race almost live, while Skipper Macif seems to be heading for victory, Cap StBarth looks to be in a bad way. 4th, 5th, the podium is slipping away. The map update wasn't right,” laughs Thomas André. In reality, it was very close, the speeds were similar and we couldn't get out of each other's way.” Cindy Brin adds: “We could see the boats and we were fighting with the sargassum to gain one meter!” The grand finale proved to be as crazy as it was indecisive. But Cindy sails in her own waters and her knowledge, even in the middle of the night, is going to work in Cap StBarth's favor.
“Cindy, there are rocks!”
“She made the difference at Colombier Point,” enthuses Thomas. She made a move. But she had to do it, she had no choice!” Cindy retorts: “I would have blamed myself! Thomas was shouting at me, 'Cindy, there are rocks! But the Saint-Barth Yacht Club instructor knew exactly where she was taking the Figaro. A daring manoeuvre, among others, which paid off. As she crossed the finish line, there was an explosion of joy. And cheers from the 200 or so boats that accompany Cap StBarth to the entrance to Gustavia harbour. There, at 3 a.m. on Friday May 9, Cindy and Thomas received an indescribable welcome. Unforgettable moments that are hard to come back from.
Three days after the finish, Cindy says: “It's still hard for me to realize. When I don't see another boat in the harbor, I'll realize what happened. And it's weird almost being snatched up by people in the street. Knowing that I've always been here, that I know the people, that people I don't know come up to me to tell me what we've done is great, it's crazy.” And he laughs, “You can't just go out and do your shopping in peace anymore!” Thomas is also amused by the situation: “I don't know anyone in Saint-Barth, but a lot of people know me, so it's pretty funny! We've been working a lot with Cindy over the last three or four months, so it's also good to let the transatlantic events carry us along.”
As for memories of the crossing, they've already been swept away. I don't have much left of the race, but especially of the finish,” confides Thomas. That erases a lot of stuff.” Cindy confirms: “All the moments of doubt, all the sluggishness, the finish erases it all. You only keep the good things. But it's already time to get back to everyday life. I go back to work the day after tomorrow (Wednesday May 14, yesterday),” says Cindy. I think I'm in for a rough ride! On top of that, we're expecting around a hundred people on the Mini Bucket.” Thomas André will already be gone, as he sailed from Cap StBarth to Guadeloupe on Tuesday, May 13, before flying back to Brittany. So that's it.
