Three cheers for Peyron
With the Celtics and Red Sox going full guns, it was not a surprise that only a few dozen people were on hand Friday night to witness the triumphal moment in Boston Harbor of Loick Peyron, one of the world's most renowned athletes.
Peyron, a 48-year-old Frenchman who left England amid thousands of well-wishers and a flotilla of spectator boats two weeks ago, quietly racked up his third victory in the Artemis Transat solo trans-Atlantic sailboat race. It was a historic feat.
With the close-fought win, Peyron topped the two-time victory record of French sailing legend Eric Tabarly, who won his first race in 1964 in 27 days.
Peyron's elapsed time aboard the high-tech, 60-foot Gitana Eighty was 12 days, 11 hours, 45 minutes, 35 seconds in logging 2,982 miles across the Atlantic.
Peyron shrugged off the suggestion that the scant notice in Boston amounted to a snub. Sitting in sunshine at an outside table on Rowes Wharf yesterday, Peyron sipped his espresso and enjoyed his first day of relaxation since setting sail.
"No, I am not surprised. This is normal," he said. "This kind of sailing is a French specialty. It is exactly like our Super Bowl."
Behind Peyron's blue boat came Brit Air, skippered by Armel Le Cleac'h of Brittany, who crossed the finish around 5:30 yesterday morning, followed by Generali, skippered by Yann Elies, who finished about a full day behind Peyron.
The rest of the 16-boat fleet is expected in Boston over the next few days.
Ocean-crossing races are filled with danger from storms, gear breakdowns, and floating objects. This sailing of the Transat was no exception.
Late in the crossing, Vincent Riou's entry, PRB, struck a basking shark with enough force to disable the boat as the keel bulb sliced the shark in half.
Since Peyron was closest to the mishap, he diverted his route to rescue Riou and brought him to Boston. Peyron was given a time allowance for the rescue. He said that taking aboard a new sailor - who was not allowed to aid in the sailing of the boat - broke his routine at first, but things returned to normal as Gitana Eighty headed for the finish.
Peyron was ecstatic and fatigued as he landed at Rowes Wharf amid spraying champagne and camera lights. His historic finish was breaking news across Europe - particularly in France, where Peyron's wife, Kristen, and their three children were following closely.
"Am I happy? Yes," said Peyron, who speaks English clearly. "And am I tired? Oh, yes! It was an exhausting race, especially at the end. But it was a fantastic battle on the water.
"Leaving Plymouth [England] I knew there were at least six boats capable of winning this race, and that was demonstrated by the numerous changes of leaders."
Sleep, says Peyron, becomes one of the enemies in such a race, since the sailor must be able to get enough to make rational decisions, but also be awake enough to stay tuned into the boat's movements and the positions of competitors.
"You learn how to sleep for half an hour and still have a feeling for the boat," he said. "You must have an internal clock that keeps you into the race even while asleep."
After an awards ceremony Wednesday, Peyron plans to sail Gitana back to France, single-handed once again as further training for the around-the-world Globe Vendee race that begins in France in the fall. 