Pier-Paolo Dean - Tiphaine Rideau (Banques Alimentaires): “We’re having an incredible time!”

INTERVIEW OF THE DAY – “We can feel we’re offshore”

Aged just 19 and 20, Tiphaine Rideau and Pier-Paolo Dean (BANQUES ALIMENTAIRES) are crossing the Atlantic for the first time. The farewells on the dock were understandably emotional, and the first hours at sea were intense. They faced an early technical issue (a slightly torn jib), had to find their sea legs, and stay close to the leading pack. Despite these early challenges, the rookie duo held their ground. Their perseverance is paying off: they’re still in the mix as they approach Cape Finisterre, which the fleet should reach this evening. And most importantly, just like their cheerful Tuesday morning spent sharing a grapefruit and cracking jokes, they’re savoring every moment of their time at sea.

How was the big departure and saying goodbye on the dock?

Tiphaine: “It was more emotional than I expected. At our first races, we were the emotional ones. This time, you could feel the emotion more from our families. Everyone was there, and for the first time, I saw real concern in their eyes.”

Pier-Paolo: “It was really intense. Early in the morning, no one was there when I arrived, and then gradually the docks filled up—with our families, our sponsors… It was the first time we said goodbye and were leaving for such a long time.”

And you had a great start right after that!

Pier-Paolo: “Yeah, that was really fun—it’s kind of our specialty, so we wanted to make it count! The coastal course was tricky, with a lot of maneuvers. You really needed experience to get through it without burning too much energy or making too many mistakes.”

"Since sunrise, we haven't stopped laughing"

And then things got tougher…

Pier-Paolo: “Yeah, after the bay course, we set off with the spinnaker a bit high on the wind, and when we went to switch to the jib, we noticed a big hole—about 35 to 40 centimeters wide. It didn’t break our spirits, but we were down a sail and a bit slower than the others. We took the jib down, patched it with two big pieces, and now it’s holding. It was stressful because we didn’t want to fall behind.”

But you’ve kept up with the pace?

Tiphaine: “At the start, we lost a bit of ground on the lead pack. The first night wasn’t great—I was seasick, and we had to repair the sail. But we took a slightly more westerly route to get through a patch of light wind near Cape Finisterre. And for now, we haven’t lost anything on those ahead of us, especially those further east. The option seems to be working—we’re feeling pretty confident!”

Have you been able to enjoy yourselves since the start?

Pier-Paolo: “It wasn’t easy at the beginning, but since sunrise today, we’ve been laughing nonstop! I think the fatigue makes everything seem funny—we keep cracking each other up. The sun’s out, the sea is turning blue, dolphins are swimming around the boat… It’s just amazing!”

Tiphaine: “And the swell is long and regular, there are beautiful waves… You can feel that you’re really out in the ocean, making progress!”