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Benjamin de Rothschild: a
passion for multihulls
Nostalgia
just isn’t what is used to be on the shores of Lake Geneva. The passion for
sailing that his father Edmond passed down to Baron Benjamin de Rothschild
has the sparkle of the sea, the taste of salt and the fragrance of fine
sails. It does not, however, conjure up the varnished mahogany of sailing
boats whose keel cuts the water like a knife. They are too expensive and not
nearly thrilling enough – quite the opposite of multihulls,
for which the Baron’s enthusiasm never wanes.
Dressed in a T-shirt and
jeans and wearing a broad grin, he appears in the sitting room of the
family’s Chateau de Pregny, near Geneva, for an
interview. This lovely setting offers a view of Lake Geneva: “From my window
I can see the Bol d'Or starting line,” he says,
more with appetite than with pride. An ideal venue for nearly two hours of
conversation with a banker whose enthusiasm for exceptional sailboat racing
knows no limits – as long as it’s exhilarating!
Yachting Classique:
Of all your family’s illustrious sailboats, which are your favorites?
Benjamin de Rothschild: I was very fond of the
6mJI and 8mJI, and the Formula 40s. But Gitana 11,
which won the 2006 Route du Rhum, was my favorite.
I love multihulls: not only are they fast but – and
this may surprise you – I think they’re more beautiful. Gitana
VI (1975 aluminum hull Stephens design, which became
the “family boat,” Editor’s note) is my choice only for taking a sail with
the family. Very often it’s moored in Brittany, at La Trinité-sur-Mer,
where the Gitana team is based. From there I sail
toward Houat, 11 miles away,
and sometimes all the way to Groix (at a distance
of 25 miles). That’s about all you can do with this Gitana,
because when it comes to regattas, she doesn’t stand a chance anymore – not
since the handicap allowance was withdrawn in the rating calculations. It’s a
shame.
Y. C.: What’s your sailing style? Are you
the type of sailor who’s constantly adjusting for one centimeter more or less
in the jibsheet, the back stay, the mainsheet?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Not really. I like sailing
and I enjoy tactics. Thanks to electronics it’s both easier and very
exciting. I also like to winch, but I don’t want to take the helm. I’m not
sufficiently.... I’m just no good, that’s all! And I prefer to let someone
else do it. I’m quite content to be one of the crew.
Y. C.: Coming back to my first question,
if you could keep only one boat, which would it be?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Gitana
11, no doubt about it. I am extremely fond of this boat, which I’ve sailed on
many times. I never grow tired of her.
Y. C.: What does she have that the others
do not?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Gitana
11 is the most comfortable, the most spacious, the most practical, and the
quietest – with no cracking carbon sounds (bursts out laughing at his
interviewer’s astonished expression). But what I really love is her
extraordinary acceleration.
Y. C.: One would imagine a Baron de
Rothschild on a 6mJI with varnish as dark as the depths of Lake Geneva.
Benjamin de Rothschild: Right, and while you’re at
it, why not wearing coat and tails 24 hours a day too. No, I like to live
with the times and today I’m 47 years old.... When you think about it, my
father Edmond was ahead of his times when he launched Gitana
VI and, in 1984, maxi-Gitana VIII, of German Frers design, with an aluminum hull and a carbon deck.
Y. C.: Are you aware of the role of the
Rothschild family in the history of sailing?
Benjamin de Rothschild: When I was young it made
quite an impression on me, but with age you understand that everything is
relative. Sailing is, however, a sport where people can easily get madly
extravagant. Take, for instance, the Maxi World Championship. From a
historical perspective, ultimately it’s not terribly important, yet after
each regatta, we start changing crewmembers, masts, keels, etc. And it gets
to be expensive! Our Gitana team just won the first
round of the Extreme Sailing Series (X-40 catamarans) in Oman, with Pierre Pennec. I’m extremely proud. We beat teams with three or
four times more equipment! This is really satisfying.
Y. C.: Is sailing still a hobby for you
or do you consider yourself to be a pro?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Sailing is a hobby. I’m
surrounded by competent people who take care of everything.
Y. C.: As things stand today, here as we
speak, which boat especially causes you to dream?
Benjamin de Rothschild (without a moment’s hesitation):
I think rigid sails are fascinating.
Y. C.: When you are asked about boats,
you reply with technical information, like a pure technician, like a
competitor....
Benjamin de Rothschild: I think the old “classic”
sailing boats are very beautiful, if that’s what you mean. Magnificent even!
Yet I’m also too aware of the sum of worries they represent for the pleasure
they bring. I think the owners of these boats love the objects themselves
more than sailing, and why not? There’s nothing wrong with that, and I’m
grateful for what they offer us – a feast for the eyes when you arrive in a
port and behold some of these monuments crafted in wood!
Y. C.: What does America’s Cup bring to
mind?
Benjamin de Rothschild: A great deal of money in
proportion to the number of minutes spent on the water. The last one was
really uninteresting, sadly. Every 20 years, this race gets out of hand.
Y. C.: But now they’ve switched to multihulls – you should like that! Aren’t you tempted?
Benjamin de Rothschild: I don’t see the point in
racing multihulls because the first boat to sail
will be the winner. And I know California too well; it doesn’t tempt me.
Mozambique would be more interesting – I’ve just purchased some land there,
where I go hunting. And I know the winds, which are steady (laughs).
Y. C.: What are your earliest memories at
sea?
Benjamin de Rothschild: The very first was on Gitana IV. I couldn’t walk yet, but I fell through a
hatch that had been left open on the deck. Quite a fright, especially for my
parents! But I didn’t have a scratch. I also have many fond memories of the
6m JI.
Y. C.: And what was your biggest scare?
Benjamin de Rothschild: I was in Marseille for a
week on Gitana VI. I must have been about 12 years
old. The regatta took place during an unbelievable mistral. I was incredibly
seasick the entire day. It was awful...probably because I could tell the crew
was tense, and that must have frightened me.
Y. C.: And since then?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Nothing! I’ve experienced
some unforgettable moments but they were not frightening. That said, I sail
with true pros and I trust them completely.
Y. C.: Which of these “pros” has made the
biggest impression on you?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Lionel Lemonchois
(winner of the 2006 Route du Rhum on Gitana 11 in record time, Editor’s note). He is truly
impressive as a skipper and sailing solo. Then there is Loïck
Peyron, for his technical and maritime prowess, as
well as Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant,
a trimmer who has no equal.
Y. C.: What’s your favorite route?
Benjamin de Rothschild: Quebec-Saint Malo. But this race isn’t run anymore, which is too bad.
It was a delight.
Y. C.: But you seem to be obsessed with
regattas! My question was about a sailing trip.
Benjamin de Rothschild (after some thought): I
recall taking a lovely trip in the Swedish Islands. Then there’s Corsica,
where the weather is warmer (laughs), which makes for a more comfortable
sail.
Y. C.: Apparently, leisurely sailing
trips are not your cup of tea.
Benjamin de Rothschild: I enjoy going for a sail
with my wife and my four daughters. It’s a joy to see them on a sailboat.
What’s not my cup of tea is the monohull: six knots
running before the wind, three knots close hauled.... Once you’ve tasted multihulls, monohulls lose
their excitement. In addition, you get completely soaked – like on a
multihull – but the difference is that a multihull goes two or three times
faster! Hardly worth it, don’t you agree?
Y. C.: If you look at it that way,
definitely!
Interview with Baron
Benjamin de Rothschild by Emmanuel Charras,
Yachting Classique
March-April-May 2011, Number 48.
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