“We have two things in common, a passion for sailing and that two of our fathers, Caroline’s and Alexy’s, died of cancer.” Frank, Zacharie, 23, quickly sets the scene. And for good reason, with Caroline and Alexy, also 23 years old, he has no time to lose. The trio plans to cross the Atlantic by sail at the end of December and their journey has one objective: to raise 100,000 euros for the fight against cancer, as part of a partnership that the three friends have concluded with the Eugène Marquis center, a hospital specializing in cancer research in Rennes.
The idea saw the light of day in 2022 while the president and main skipper, Caroline, and Alexis and Zacharie were studying at ESCP in Paris. A meeting at the sailing club, a few exchanges on the school benches and they launched into the creation of “Caro and the boys at sea”, the association, and a “sporting, united and eco-responsible challenge” , lists Zechariah.
Their boat, Cosinus, is moored in Brest and will stay in Brittany between September and December, time for them to train before setting sail. “We will leave at the end of December for Martinique. The route takes us to the island via Cape Verde, a journey which lasts around twenty days, then crossing the Atlantic for around twenty days in total autonomy. We will stay there for three months and will return in June 2024 to Brest. »
“We bought the boat in Arcachon and brought it back to Brest in September. On the way, we encountered 70 km/h gusts which flattened the boat, fortunately without damaging it! »
Zechariah
The return, less long, takes them through the Azores then Brest for 25 days. A challenge that does not scare them, even if they are aware of the difficulties they may encounter, notably “the cold and the Bay of Biscay which will shake us up quite a bit”, specifies the young man. Until then, they practice navigation, although already familiar with it, and encounter their first difficulties.
To acquire the right reflexes and learn from professional experiences, they can count on the twenty testimonials received, but also on professional navigators, Quentin Vlamynck and Fabrice Amedeo. “We also did internships and training including sea survival or engine training.” The engine used to leave the ports is also used to recharge the boat’s electrical devices, even if it has solar panels.
Their boat, “a FIRST 32 S5 designed by Philippe Starck”, measures around ten meters long and only 3 m wide. With “two bedrooms, one for Caro and another for both of us,” specifies the young skipper.
Looking for partners
If the team has already found several partners, notably the school, Intégrale Prépa and the Cercle de la mer, they still have to find 40% of the budget, or around 15,000 euros. “We bought the boat with our personal funds and a loan from the bank but it’s a sham operation because we plan to resell it at the end of the project,” explains Zacharie, “but to leave, we need to buy some safety equipment, new sails for example. A sail costs 2,000 to 3,000 euros…”
To try to balance their budget, apart from the active search for a partner, the crew also relies on setting up a prize pool on Hello Asso, open to individuals. “Then we will open a second pot once at sea. “’10,000 nautical miles against cancer’ will have one objective, that of collecting 10 euros for each mile traveled. The funds will go to the Eugène Marquis cancer center in Brittany,” continues Zacharie. A choice that they explain by the unique character of the center in Brittany and by the support it offers to patients.
“Unlike other hospitals, the center supports its patients in a more in-depth manner and it is not uncommon to see patients lingering at the center where, in addition to care, they benefit from psychological support. This side touched us a lot”
“At the beginning, we will have a little fresh produce and vegetables, then a lot of canned goods”
Zechariah
The association Caro and the boys at sea, in addition to the 100,000 euros hoped for, has set itself another objective of preventing and informing about cancer, with a series of videos on the main causes of cancer in the maritime environment and in sports nautical. “It’s the sun, tobacco and alcohol,” the young man insists. Other areas are highlighted such as the eco-responsible nature of the project or the association with Christine Barul in Guadeloupe, a researcher who has worked on cancer and whom they intend to visit from Martinique.
“We are also going to allow children who have overcome cancer to come take a boat trip with us and discover sailing. » While waiting to leave, they can count on the support of the school which has allowed them to adapt their year with a first semester which they complete online two days a week and a six-month sabbatical between January and June. “That leaves us five days of sailing a week to train,” calculates Zacharie, who smiles at our question about how to eat: “At the beginning, we will have a little fresh produce and vegetables, then a lot of canned goods. But we rely a lot on fishing! »
