Alan Roura's crew finished 7th in the second leg on Sunday evening, crossing the finish line in Cartagena at 10:10 p.m. (Swiss time). The entire Ocean Race Europe fleet was there to greet the young Swiss team, which leaves no one indifferent.
There will be something for everyone. There will be something for everyone. It is written that for Team AMAALA, The Ocean Race Europe should serve as a training ground for the ‘Next Gen’ of Swiss sailing. And each leg offers a wealth of real-life learning opportunities for young sailors, some of whom had never spent a single night at sea, racing on an IMOCA. On leg 2, from Portsmouth to Cartagena, via the fly-by of Matosinhos - Porto, the young guard was not disappointed. Arriving in Spain on Sunday evening in 7th position, Team AMAALA received a winner's welcome from the public and the other teams, all present on the pontoon. The festive atmosphere undoubtedly highlighted the human achievement of the young team built around skipper Alan Roura.
It must be said that the Swiss project has not gone unnoticed. Set up in just two months, Team AMAALA is a remarkable achievement, and every day spent at sea is a victory that allows us to see beyond the horizon of The Ocean Race Europe.
It should be remembered that the project launched by Alan Roura, Simon Koster and Elodie Mettraux is only the beginning of an adventure that will take this young team to the 2027 round-the-world race. The sailors, who were selected last June after a call for applications and a testing phase in Switzerland and Lorient, are therefore participating in a race within a race. Alexis Landais, Alan Roura's mental coach and performance manager for this ‘national selection’, gives his initial assessment at the end of this second stage. ‘So far, we can say that we made the right choice in terms of profiles,’ he says. "On a human and sporting level, there are some great satisfactions despite the difficulties encountered in the rankings. Which, incidentally, is no surprise."
At the top of the list of very positive points is the seamless integration of novices into the management of the boat. ‘Whether on the first or second leg, the monohull finished in impeccable condition at the finish line,’ continues Alexis Landais. "This may seem trivial, but it's not, because the preparation timeline was extremely tight and these boats are very complex. This means that no, or very few, mistakes were made by the crew, who learned quickly and well. Everyone knew how to sail very well before joining the project, and each person successfully acclimatised to a completely new technical environment. So much so that everyone was able to contribute their vision and make suggestions."
Since leaving Kiel on 10 August, Team AMAALA has not been spared. But they have always acted intelligently, aware that there is no point in trying to do too much. ‘With a slower boat, we are more at the mercy of the race than in control of it,’ says Alexis Landais. The mistake would be to push too hard, to overplay our hand, so to speak. Being able to stay on course when the elastic was stretched tight is also a great demonstration of character." Healthy minds in a healthy boat, even if we're not the fastest, that's the AMAALA Team's credo.
Guillaume Rol, 27, who was present for this second leg, experienced his baptism of fire in IMOCA. To say that the Geneva native had his work cut out for him would be an understatement. ‘We're not going to lie and say that everything was easy,’ he smiled in the euphoria of arriving at the pontoon. ‘I think each of us experienced a slight dip in morale at some point. But every time, we were able to count on each other to quickly regain momentum, and that's great on a human level.’
"There was only one moment that was very difficult for everyone,’ he admits. "It was when we left the Portuguese trade winds after a magnificent night with wind, when we were finally making progress! And once again, we found ourselves in calm conditions and we knew it was going to be like that until the finish. Collectively, we all took a hit. We lost our way a little during the watches... In the early afternoon, we took stock together and set off again with renewed vigour, without giving up, until the end."
The route from Gibraltar to Cartagena is beautiful. It was completed by a crew that knew how to make the best of a bad situation. ‘It's through adversity that we grow," says Alexis Landais. They arrive tired, but they also arrive better at the end than they were at the beginning. Both in terms of sport and, above all, in terms of humanity. All this progress is all the more gratifying because it is part of a long-term project. In Formula 1, when you have a car at the back of the grid, you don't expect to win races and you know you won't finish the season at the front. But on the other hand, the idea is to become a better driver as the Grand Prix races go by."
A better pilot, a better sailor, a better person. ‘That's exactly how I feel,’ says Jessica Berthoud, the other newcomer to this second stage. "This week at sea has been incredibly rewarding. There have been highs, very high highs, and lows, very low lows. But there was always someone there to help the other person bounce back. It's so cool to have the chance to experience these moments at sea and to get along so well with the four other people you share them with. It was long, it was difficult at times, but it was so amazing that I almost didn't want to arrive!"
The youngest member of the team will get a little break before returning in better shape, as she will be stepping aside for the next two stages – she will be back on board for the final stage between Genoa and Kotor in Montenegro. The rotation continues on Team AMAALA, with stage 3 already set to start this Tuesday afternoon from Cartagena to Nice, which promises to be short and intense. Only Alan Roura will still be on board, now supported by his friend Conrad Colman as co-skipper. This dynamic duo will be joined by Rebecca Gmuer and Mathis Bourgnon, who will also be present from Nice to Genoa. Once again, this will be a first for these two young sailors in IMOCA high-level racing. And an opportunity to progress in every way.
Image © Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe