Passion and sharing. These two words sum up in a nutshell the spirit that reigned during a recent two-day Le Mans Passion Sharing event between four FIA World Endurance Championship drivers and four world-class yachtsmen.
Organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the aim was to bring people together to share experiences and pass on the passion and values embodied in the legendary history of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the ACO.
Le Mans Passion Share offered drivers the opportunity to share with other professionals the experience of driving at Le Mans and then to ‘live the life’ of the people in question.
Romain Dumas (Porsche Team), Julien Canal (G-Drive Racing), Paul-Loup Chatin (Signatech Alpine) and Emmanuel Collard (AF Corse) were the drivers in question (2015 teams in brackets), and four skippers, Yves Le Blevec, Thomas Coville, Alain Gautier and Jean Le Cam, from the world of yachting.
The first day unfolded in the temple of motor racing on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit. The drivers were in their element and coached the skippers by giving them expert advice on how to drive a Pescarolo prototype from the ACO Le Mans Driver School. These open cars are real racers, weigh just 800 kg and put out around 200 bhp. To make things even more difficult for the skippers it rained all day on the Sarthe circuit!
After morning practice, which gave everyone the opportunity to find their marks, the four teams consisting of a driver and skipper (Dumas/Le Blevec, Chatin/Coville, Canal/Le Cam and Collard/Gautier), took on one another in an Endurance Challenge – the winners being Emmanuel Collard and Alain Gautier.
After a relaxing evening full of lively conversation and sharing the day’s experiences, all those taking part in the operation Le Mans Passion Share had a radical change of scenery the next day. Drivers and skippers found themselves on the quays of La Trinté-sur-Mer for a new adventure as they climbed on board the trimaran, Ultim Actual.
This is a veritable LMP1 of the seas, whose results include two round-the-world events plus numerous Trans-Atlantic races. The 31-metre boat really impressed even the most experienced drivers who all had a taste of what the crews experience during yacht races. They were both thrilled and impressed by the challenge and when they left the boat they had only one wish – to do it again as soon as possible!
Roman Dumas (driver):
“It was really great and the more wind the better it was! The most amazing thing is the speed at which the boat reacts, just like a racing car. But these guys are supermen as you have to be everywhere at the same time. I really feel sorry for them when they’re all alone at sea!”
Julien Canal (driver):
“You really feel small when you’re on a boat; it’s very impressive. Everything happens very quickly. The boat’s hyper reactive and the skippers have a very technical job. I feel really privileged to have had this experience.”
Paul-Loup Chatin (driver):
“You get a fabulous sensation of speed. You feel you’re flying as soon as the boat rises out of the water. There are a lot of parallels with a racing car in terms of technology. The two worlds are very distant and at the same time very close. That’s why it was such a great experience.”
Emmanuel Collard (driver):
“I was amazed by the reactivity of the boat in even the slightest manoeuvre. And as soon as the wind fills the sails it takes off like a rocket. We did almost 30 knots!”
Yves Le Blevec (skipper):
“It was really great. Driving a car and skippering a boat don’t have a lot in common, but there’s the same need to collect information which then has to be analysed and transformed into the appropriate actions. It was great fun!”
Jean Le Cam (skipper):
“It was my first time in a racing car. I’ll never forget it! The way the drivers master their cars in the rain with no visibility is mind-boggling!”
Thomas Coville (skipper):
“The most difficult thing when you’re preparing mentally is to return to the state of a child. At the wheel of these cars I had a real childlike feeling. I’ve got great admiration for what the drivers do.”
Alain Gautier (skipper):
“I had already driven racing cars but sharing one with a driver from the 24 Hours means you discover a whole other dimension. I really enjoyed it!”
Photos: Thierry Martinez / Sea&Co. Top: Collard, Chatin, Canal, Le Cam, Dumas, Coville, Le Blevec.
