It’s’ surprise guest from the race leader. Third Wednesday when we reached him on the phone, Damien Seguin ( APICIL ), first handisport skipper on a Vendée Globe , is part of the quartet of the tenors of the race around the world. Second a few hours ago, the Nantes driver came back to fourth very recently. A hell of a performance for this rookie (41 years ) who – if all goes well – could cut the finish line at 
The Nantes native Damien Seguin. – Fred TANNEAU / AFP
No, and I would have thought that there must be quite a problem on the fleet to be there. Finally, no, it is clear that I am in this trio at the moment and that this place I am not stealing it. I sail well. I am taking full advantage of the tactical and strategic choices I made, and of my boat. I don’t have to blush or belittle what I do.
You are a good outsider, is that what you say?
Today, since the start of this Vendée Globe , I have been fifth or fourth several times and have always managed to come back. I can’t be one of the favorites because I’m a freshman already. And then, a priori , I don’t have the boat to win.
And you are first with a boat without foils ?
It is a source of pride. This is a ranking that I was aiming for. Be in front of Jean Le Cam and the other drift boats, it proves that so far I have sailed well. A week ago, I left them company, I went ahead and kept my lead.
Do you surprise yourself a little?
Obviously because the length of the Vendée Globe is new to me. I didn’t know how I was going to be in this race. In the end, I manage to adapt and I realize that I have the length of this race in the legs.
Could this give more ambition for the future?
Why not ? The weather scenario is so complicated. So much can happen in the rise of the South Atlantic. It’s so random. We’re going to have to be ready for a bit of everything and have a little luck. I can very well pass second in a few hours like falling back in the standings.
Tell us about the passage of Cape Horn?
For all the plotters, all the passages of Cape Horn is something that marks. This is something we expect and we are doing the Vendée Globe for that too. And there, for me, it followed a lot of intense weeks of navigation during which we did not have much respite. I gave up a bit at that time, it’s natural, human. It was a lot of emotions.
And what do we see when passing at Cape Horn?
I passed too far to see it. But, it is above all a symbolic point. We put the flashing on the left to go up in the South Atlantic and find a little better conditions, and especially we are on the way home. We end with the south which is interminable. It’s the end of one adventure, the start of another.
You have received a lot of messages, it seems …
Yes, and they all made me happy. There was that of the Minister of Sports [Roxana Maracineanu] and that of the former president of the disabled sports federation [Gérard Masson]. They had flattering words that also reveal that casually, my adventure touches more people than those who usually follow me. I exploded the number of people who follow me. My story does not only touch sports and sailing enthusiasts. You who discover this mythical race around the world. What is the hardest part in everyday life? Managing emotions. We have a lot of emotions on the boat, but they are amplified by life on board, life alone, the lack of communication and our state of fatigue. We go through ups and downs and several times in the same day and that is complicated to manage. It is taboo. The other skippers say little about it. I hadn’t been told that some mornings you can get up, either happy or crying. Sometimes I wake up wondering what the hell I’m doing here. There are bad weather conditions … you can’t see the sun for days. Sometimes you want it to stop, but the worry is that you are not on a soccer field, you cannot go back to the locker room like that. Yes, there are some great good times. This morning [mercredi matin], I open the computer I see that I am third… I go outside, the sun is rising. The weather is fine, the sea is beautiful. It is magic. I am easy and there is nothing around. I am far from the news that you can have: when do we confine? Or deconfine? As much I want to arrive quickly, but I do not want to find this question again.