Sailing: A union between France and Morocco as a symbol for Med Max

Goulven Marie et Nasser Arraiss ne se connaissaient pas il y a quelques mois mais leur entente est naturelle. Midi Libre

Nasser Arraiss from Béziers, born not far from Saïdia where the finish will take place, was looking for a skipper to take him on the adventure. Goulven Marie offered him this opportunity on his Class40 Qwanza-Bexa.

One absolutely wanted to be at the start, the other would never have been able to take him. And yet, they will both be together at the start from Port Camargue, Sunday. And the duo aspires to be at the finish, a few days later but not for the same reasons.

For Goulven Marie, the skipper of Qwanza-Bexa, the Med Max is an opportunity to cross a line. Something he was unable to do during his last race, the Transat CIC, since the Parisian by birth dismasted southwest of Ireland, 1,000 km from Lorient… "It's part of motor sports. If you don't accept it when you do this kind of activity… If, at some point, in your head, you don't say to yourself: “it could possibly happen.” If we refuse to let that happen, there is no point in going on this kind of support", makes the best of a bad situation the one who started sailing in Saint-Malo.

« I dismasted on May 2nd, on August 2nd, the boat was ready »

His idea was "not to press the panic button", to bring the boat back without damaging it any further. “I was lucky to find a used mast. It was the light at the end of the tunnel with the goal of starting the Med Max. Normally, it is eight months, there is no mast in advance, they are made in Romania. I dismasted on May 2nd, on August 2nd, the boat was ready to sail…"

To the great delight of Nasser Arraiss who, at 45, had dreamed of participating in this race since he learned that Kito de Pavant had the project but also – and above all – because the finish will be judged in Morocco, in Saïdia, close to his birthplace, Nador. “I am the son of a fisherman. I did my internship in Valras Plage where, for a week, we sailed on the Optimists. Then, when I was 18 and had my first wages, I restored a 6.50 from the bottom of the water, then a Bavaria to race in all corners of the Big Blue, deliveries from the other side of the Atlantic, the Spi Ouest France”, explains this self-taught sailor, head of a company in Béziers.

Who will never thank Goulven enough for having taken him on this adventure. But the latter has always had the desire to give sailing enthusiasts, whether novices or experienced sailors, the experience of ocean racing aboard a Class40. “He has still sailed a lot in the Mediterranean, on both sides, with regattas and quite a few deliveries, quite a few cruises. It was a bit of a discovery to be on a racing boat like that. But the main fundamental principles remain the same", assures the sailor who has been to Béziers, Valras, Sète, Corsica and now the Côte d’Azur.

A tour of the Iberian Peninsula

And their shared navigation has allowed them to create a bond and show that they could work together. "We hit it off straight away, it went really well. We are also complementary. Even if sailing on a Formula 1, it is true that it is not the same thing as on a pedal boat…", jokes Nasser. “We tend to be a bit extreme in our choices when we compete and it's good to have someone sometimes who can temper you a bit. He's someone who's extremely handy on a boat and, you know, we tinker quite regularly. When I sleep, I am serene", compliments Goulven who, at 47, has known others.

Their turn of the Iberian Peninsula allowed them to adjust, to see how each other works and to encounter all types of conditions. Enough to aim to be among the five best “pointus” in Class40.
For Nasser, the arrival in Saïdia also has another interest, that of successfully completing his association 888. “8 youngsters, 8 months, stopovers on the 3,500 km of coastline. It was aborted due to lack of funding, I would really like to develop this sailing side in Morocco where the sailors are mainly fishermen."

More than a race, the Med Max can really be a link between France and Morocco, between the two continents.