Episode 65: La course en solitaire (The Solo Race)

When Kevin Escoffier entered one of the world’s most epic solo boating races, he faced long odds, dangerous waters, and stiff competition.

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Ngofeen: It was November 8th, 2020, and 40-year-old Kevin Escoffier was competing in one of the greatest sporting events in the world: a solo non-stop boating race, une course en solitaire, where participants sail around the globe.

Kevin: C’était ma deuxième course en solitaire et j’allais être seul face à l’océan pendant deux à trois mois. C’est difficile physiquement et psychologiquement. La course en solitaire, c'est la meilleure façon de se connaître vraiment.

Ngofeen: Kevin had entered into a daring race called le Vendée Globe, nicknamed the Everest of the Seas. He had set off from the French Department of La Vendée on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and he hoped to sail the southern seas and make his way around the world, back to La Vendée, in about 75 days.

Kevin: Nous, les marins, on ne navigue pas souvent dans les mers du Sud, qui entourent l’Antarctique. C'est un endroit plutôt hostile, avec des grosses vagues et des vents assez forts. En plus, il fait froid. C'est un endroit qui peut faire peur, mais qui peut aussi faire rêver.

Ngofeen: There were another 32 sailors competing, but three weeks in, Kevin was in fourth place. Ahead of him was the most experienced sailor in the race, Jean Le Cam. Then Kevin overtook Jean Le Cam’s boat and claimed third place. At that moment, Kevin felt good about his chances. But little did he know his luck was about to run out.

Kevin: Je me suis dit : « J’ai vraiment bien commencé cette course et j’ai une chance de finir en bonne position. » Je ne pouvais pas imaginer qu’en un instant tout allait changer, et que j’allais vivre une aventure pleine de surprises.

Ngofeen: Bienvenue and welcome to the Duolingo French Podcast — I’m Ngofeen Mputubwele. Every episode, we bring you fascinating true stories to help you improve your French listening and gain new perspectives on the world. The storyteller will be using intermediate French and I will be chiming in for context in English. If you miss something, you can always skip back and listen again — we also offer full transcripts at podcast.duolingo.com.

Ngofeen: Much of Kevin’s childhood was spent on boats, and he grew up marveling at the sailors competing in le Vendée Globe. The race takes place every four years, and he’d followed the stories of sailors facing off with the ocean. Many had to give up and there were a few daring rescues… But what impressed Kevin most was that the winners did it all alone, without making any stops, and without any help.

Kevin: J'ai grandi avec le Vendée Globe. Tous les 4 ans, je voyais des gens partir seuls faire le tour de la planète, sans s’arrêter. Mais c’est surtout une course sans aucune assistance. On doit tout gérer tout seul. C'est une vraie aventure.

Ngofeen: Kevin’s passion for the sea continued into his adulthood. He got a job designing boats and he participated in sailing crew races, des régates en équipage. But he also wondered if he had what it took to complete le Vendée Globe.

Kevin: J’adorais faire des régates en équipage sur de grands bateaux, mais je voulais aussi savoir si j’étais capable de faire des courses en solitaire. Alors j’ai participé à une première course, et puis j’ai décidé de tenter ma chance sur le Vendée Globe.

Ngofeen: In 2018, at 38, Kevin decided to give le Vendée Globe a try, tenter sa chance. He wanted to find out if he could measure up against the dangerous winds, the 200-foot waves, and sail 26,000 miles around the world all on his own. He got a sponsor and a boat, called The PRB, le PRB, and he spent two years preparing for the race.

Kevin: J’ai beaucoup travaillé sur mon bateau, je me suis entraîné et j’ai pris des cours pour apprendre comment me soigner et rester en vie en cas d'accident.

Ngofeen: Once on the boat he would have to remain vigilant and constantly adjust the sails to the changing weather conditions. He’d be sleep-deprived and utterly alone. To Kevin, this wasn’t only a race, this also felt like a true challenge. A personal challenge.

Kevin: Pour moi, l’aventure, c’est partir seul pendant deux mois et demi, se retrouver avec soi-même et braver les éléments. C’est une course contre les autres, mais c’est aussi une course contre soi-même.

Ngofeen: On November 8th, 2020, 33 sailors assembled in the marina of a seaside resort town called Les Sables-d'Olonne. Kevin, his wife, and his two kids were standing on the dock. Kevin hugged and kissed them goodbye and stepped onto his boat.

Kevin: Le départ est un moment très intense. On ressent beaucoup d’émotions parce qu’on quitte sa famille et le continent. On ne les verra pas pendant 2 mois et demi. Mais je devais me concentrer sur mon objectif, et bien commencer la course parce que c’était mon premier Vendée Globe et que j’y allais avant tout pour la compétition.

Ngofeen: Amongst his competitors, Kevin kept an eye on Jean Le Cam. Sixty-year-old Jean Le Cam was a living legend in offshore racing, la course au large. This was his fifth attempt to win le Vendée Globe. During Le Cam’s last race, his boat had capsized and he had been lost at sea for 18 hours. He had nicknamed his new boat “Yes We Cam.”

Kevin: Jean Le Cam est une légende de la course au large française. C'est une personne formidable. Il a beaucoup d’expérience, alors c’est lui qu’on va voir quand on a un problème.

Ngofeen: Kevin’s boat, le PRB, was a black and orange 60-foot boat with 8 sails. And Kevin had pared it down to the essentials. He had a small cabin, 4 square meters of living space with a tiny table, a camping stove, a satellite phone, and two emergency grab bags. He was ready to go and sail down the western coast of Africa. He hoped to be in the lead, en tête.

Kevin: On est partis. Et tout de suite, les premiers jours de la course ont été très intenses. On a traversé une tempête tropicale avec du vent et une mer très agitée. La première semaine a donc été difficile. Je n’étais pas en tête, mais j'ai réussi à être dans les cinq premiers. Pour moi, c’était parfait.

Ngofeen: Kevin’s days and nights were dictated by the shifting winds and the weather. He had to constantly monitor the ocean and adjust the sails, so he couldn't sleep more than an hour and a half at a time. But eventually, Kevin found his rhythm. And as he checked in with his team on the ground and the race organizers, he got great news.

Kevin: Grâce à mon ordinateur, ma connexion satellite et mon GPS, j’ai appris que j’étais quatrième, juste derrière Jean Le Cam. Et ensuite, je suis passé devant lui ! 22 jours après le départ, j’étais maintenant troisième du Vendée Globe !

Ngofeen: After 3 weeks of racing, things were looking good. Kevin was in third, in front of Jean Le Cam. He was near the Cape of Good Hope, off the coast of South Africa, but he was approaching a dangerous area called the Roaring Forties, les quarantièmes rugissants.

Kevin: Dans les quarantièmes rugissants, le vent est très fort et les vagues sont énormes. Je savais que je devais faire encore plus attention. Alors je nous préparais, mon bateau et moi-même, à des conditions difficiles.

Ngofeen: On the afternoon of November 30th, Kevin was taking a nap when the wind alarm on the boat computer woke him up. The wind was picking up. This was nothing unexpected. Still, Kevin left his cabin and stepped on deck, le pont, to see what he needed to adjust.

Kevin: Le vent était de plus en plus fort, mais il n'y avait rien d’exceptionnel. J’ai connu des tempêtes beaucoup plus fortes que ça. J’étais sur le pont, et là, d’un seul coup, une vague assez grosse est arrivée. Elle mesurait environ 5 mètres…

Ngofeen: Kevin’s boat rode up the 18-foot-high wave and nose-dived. On that kind of boat and with those kinds of waves, this was nothing exceptional. Except that, this time, something terrible happened.

Kevin: Cette fois, l’avant du bateau est rentré dans l’eau. Mais, au lieu de ressortir de l’eau normalement, j’ai vu l’avant du bateau se casser en deux. J’ai d’abord pensé que ce n'était pas possible.

Ngofeen: To Kevin it looked like something impossible. Something that defied the laws of physics and everything he knew about his boat. His boat had broken in half and it was now folding in on itself.

Kevin: J'avais imaginé beaucoup de scénarios… Mais je n’avais jamais imaginé que mon bateau pouvait se casser en deux.

Ngofeen: As freezing water surged through the broken hull, Kevin understood that his boat was sinking, il coulait. There was nothing he could do to save it. But Kevin knew he still had a chance to save his life. So he grabbed his wetsuit to protect himself from the cold. Then he sent a message for help, and he activated his distress beacon, sa balise de détresse.

Kevin: J’ai envoyé un message de détresse qui disait : « Je coule, je suis sérieux, mayday ! ». Et puis j’ai activé la balise de détresse pour montrer à mon équipe que j’avais un gros problème et pour qu’ils puissent me trouver. Mon seul espoir, c’était qu’ils reçoivent ce message.

Ngofeen: Kevin was alone in the southern seas, and his boat was sinking. He had written a mayday message to his team. And right after he hit send all the power went out. He had no way of knowing if the message had gone through. But he knew if he didn’t act fast, he would drown or freeze.

Kevin: D'habitude, il n'y a personne dans cette partie des mers du Sud. C’est comme un désert. Mais ce jour-là, il y avait les autres bateaux qui faisaient la course. Alors si je pouvais rester en vie, j’avais une chance d’être sauvé par un de mes concurrents.

Ngofeen: Kevin quickly put on his wetsuit, and went to retrieve his grab bags, ses bidons de survie. One contained food and water. The other contained an emergency satellite phone that would help him make contact with potential rescuers.

Kevin: Il y avait de l’eau partout. J’ai attrapé le bidon de survie avec l’eau et la nourriture, mais celui avec le téléphone satellite était sous l’eau. Alors j’ai dû prendre une décision difficile.

Ngofeen: The water was flooding the boat so fast Kevin had to give up on the second grab bag, with the satellite phone. Instead, he focused on the liferaft, le radeau de survie. He hoped the message he had sent and the distress beacon he had activated were enough to guide potential rescuers.

Kevin: Je suis allé chercher le radeau pour pouvoir monter dedans pour attendre les secours. Tout est allé très vite !

Ngofeen: Kevin launched the raft to sea, pulled the cord to inflate it, and jumped into the raft. His first thought was for his family.

Kevin: Tout de suite, quand je suis monté dans le radeau, je me suis dit : « J'espère que mes enfants sont sortis de l'école. » Je sais que les écoles suivent beaucoup le Vendée Globe. Et je ne voulais pas que mes enfants apprennent la nouvelle à l’école.

Ngofeen: From the raft, Kevin watched as his broken, sinking boat disappeared into the waves. Kevin couldn’t believe his eyes. But he tried to stay optimistic.

Kevin: Évidemment, j’avais un peu peur. Je me suis dis que si personne ne venait me chercher, je n’avais aucune chance de survivre. Mais je n’ai pas imaginé mourir. Dans ma tête, j’étais sûr que quelqu’un allait venir me chercher.

Ngofeen: Kevin didn’t know if anyone had received his message. The howling wind and the first monster waves were a bit of a shock. As each wave lifted him up and crashed him back down, it felt as if he was on a rollercoaster. But his raft’s anchor kept it from flipping over. So Kevin lay down at the bottom of the raft, under a small tent, and waited.

Kevin: Le fond du radeau n’était pas rigide ; je sentais le mouvement de l'eau sous moi. Le vent soufflait sur la tente, et parfois, une vague venait frapper contre le radeau et le déplaçait. J'espérais que mon équipe avait reçu mon message, et je me préparais à attendre les secours dans ces conditions pendant 24 heures.

Ngofeen: Luckily, Kevin’s message had reached his team! The organizers of the race immediately asked Kevin’s closest competitor to divert his course to rescue him. At dusk, just three hours after his boat had sunk, Kevin heard the sound of a sail whipping in the wind. When he saw who it was, he was relieved, soulagé. His biggest rival in the race had come to save him.

Kevin: J'ai entendu une voile dans le vent et j’ai vu arriver le bateau de Jean Le Cam ! J’étais soulagé. Ils avaient bien reçu mon appel de détresse ! Mais maintenant, il restait le plus difficile : passer de mon radeau à son bateau.

Ngofeen: Getting Jean Le Cam's boat close enough for Kevin to get on board was tricky. The weather conditions were bad. The strong wind and huge waves made it hard to maneuver close to the raft. Kevin watched Jean Le Cam’s boat wrestle the elements.

Kevin: C’est impossible d’arrêter un bateau à voile, surtout dans ces conditions. J’ai vu son bateau décoller, avec la force du vent. Mais il est passé assez près de moi. J’ai crié : « Maintenant ? ». Mais Jean m’a fait signe que ce n’était pas possible.

Ngofeen: Kevin watched Le Cam’s boat leave. But he stayed positive. He knew Jean would be back for him as soon as the seas quieted.

Kevin: La nuit est tombée. Il faisait noir. Le radeau avait des lampes qui flashaient régulièrement. Et là, l’attente a été très longue.

Ngofeen: Kevin tried to ignore the flashing lights and sleep, but the waves kept waking him up. Hours passed. 5 hours. 10 hours. There was no sign of Jean Le Cam. Kevin started having hallucinations.

Kevin: Je commençais même à voir des choses… Quand une vague venait frapper contre le radeau, j’avais l’impression que c’était quelqu’un qui frappait. Je me souviens d'avoir dit : « Allez-y, entrez ! ».

Ngofeen: Kevin knew he was having hallucinations from the sleep deprivation. He kept waiting. At last, the sea quieted down, and finally, after 11 hours lost at sea, Kevin heard Jean Le Cam arrive on his boat, the “Yes We Cam.”

Kevin: Quand j’ai entendu Jean arriver, il faisait encore nuit. J’ai sorti la tête de la tente et je lui ai demandé : « Maintenant ? ». Il a répondu : « Oui ! ».

Ngofeen: Le Cam put his engine in reverse gear, to slow the boat as much as possible. He tried to get close enough to be able to bring Kevin on board. It did not work.

Kevin: Malheureusement, il m’a raté et il est passé à trois mètres de moi. Alors, il m’a jeté une bouée attachée au bateau et je l’ai attrapée !

Ngofeen: Kneeling in the raft, Kevin held la bouée, the lifebuoy, tight. Le Cam’s boat moved forward. Kevin tried to get closer, pulling the lifeline, but he couldn’t. Now his raft was 50 feet behind the Yes We Cam. So Kevin tried something desperate.

Kevin: Alors, je me suis jeté à l’eau. J’ai nagé et je suis arrivé près du Yes We Cam. Et là, je me suis approché d’une des barres sur le côté du bateau.

Ngofeen: Swimming towards the metal bars on the side of the rescue boat Kevin had to time his approach right. The waves were rocking Jean Le Cam’s boat hard. At times, Kevin could see the boat’s propeller looming above him. But he managed to grab the bar and pull himself onto the boat.

Kevin: Je me suis relevé et Jean est arrivé. Il m'a pris dans ses bras. Tous les deux, on riait et on pleurait.

Ngofeen: The first thing Kevin did was call his wife and tell her everything was OK. Kevin spent the next 5 days with Jean on the Yes We Cam, and apologized to Jean for slowing him down on his race. But Jean reassured him.

Kevin: Jean m’a dit qu’il n’avait pas hésité à venir m’aider. ll m’a dit que pour nous, les marins, c’est évident, d’aider un autre marin en détresse. Je suis sûr que tout le monde ferait pareil dans cette situation.

Ngofeen: Kevin made it home safely. And he was relieved that Jean was allowed to resume the race. He hoped that soon he too would be able to race again.

Kevin: J’ai vécu ce moment-là comme un échec mais je ne voulais pas rester sur ce sentiment. Alors, sur le bateau de Jean, j'imaginais déjà le futur bateau que j'allais construire pour mon prochain Vendée Globe.

Ngofeen: Kevin Escoffier is a sailor and lives in Lorient, Brittany, France. He is preparing for the next Vendée Globe in 2024. Jean Le Cam finished the race and taking into account the time spent on the recovery, he was ranked fourth.

This story was produced by Charlotte de Beauvoir, an audio producer based in Bogotá, Colombia.

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The Duolingo French Podcast is produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media. Our managing editor is Natacha Ruck. Our Senior Editor is Laura Isensee. Our producers are Adélie Pojzman-Pontay, Martine Chaussard, Estelle Ndjandjo, Charlotte de Beauvoir, Lorena Galliot, and Justine Hagard, who also is our production assistant. Mixers and sound designers are Samia Bouzid, Morgane Fouse and David De Luca. Our production manager is Román Frontini, our production coordinator is Nicolás Sosa. Our mastering engineer is Laurent Apffel. Our executive producer is Martina Castro. And I’m your host, Ngofeen Mputubwele, à la prochaine !

Credits

This episode was produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media.