Romain embarks his son Titouan
After covering 28,150 miles since leaving Lorient on January 4th (16,287 miles direct), the circular economy and ocean protection trimaran Use It Again! by Extia, skippered by Romain Pilliard arrived in Cape Town last Thursday for a final stopover before returning to Brittany. For this last stage between South Africa and Lorient, Romain will embark Titouan, his eldest son. Departure scheduled for early next week.
Resilience and selflessness
If Romain Pilliard set off to try to break the Round the World Record in Reverse last January, an accident in the Patagonian canals will have got the better of the sporting ambitions of the skipper of Use It Again! by Extia but not its determination to complete this Round the World at all costs. Since February 9, the Record has been transformed into a constant adventure with single-handed or double-handed stages and stopovers during which the skipper met with environmental protection associations and children to raise their awareness of circular economy and safeguarding the ocean.
A father/son duo, transmission in the background
183 days after leaving Lorient, there is still an ocean ahead of the bows of the Trimaran Use It Again! by Extia and to complete the last 5,900 miles of this Round the World Around the World between Cape Town and Lorient, Romain Pilliard has chosen to embark his son Titouan, 16, the eldest of his three children. This choice seemed obvious when imagining a new format for this Upside-Down Round the World. Bringing together two generations on this trimaran which defends the idea of changing our way of consuming and preserving our environment is quite a symbol. “The notion of transmission is fundamental in the Use It Again! by Extia whose principle is to raise awareness and educate. As a father, it is obviously close to my heart to share this concretely with my son who is already very sensitive and invested in these environmental issues. Titouan is also a resourceful child, with a keen sense of competition. He has the glide under his skin whether on a boat, a skateboard or on skis! He embarks with the ardor of youth, the desire and I will do everything to ensure that this duo navigation is a great moment of sharing and happiness for both of us”, rejoices the skipper of Use It Again! by Extia.
Titouan, navigator in the making
At 16, Titouan has always been rocked by the commitment of his parents. Ambassador of Children For The Ocean, he works in primary schools on ocean protection issues in France and abroad. A born competitor, he started in Open Bic then raced at a high level in windfoil. Whatever the support, he likes to go fast on the water, his space of freedom. “I'm sailing Use It Again! by Extia since the beginning of the project. I accompany my father during training and PR outings. I've been sailing this boat since I was 12, I know it almost as well as it does! This Reverse World Tour, we experience it every moment as a family in good and bad times. It is an extraordinary challenge that it allows me to achieve today, I expect it to be difficult in the long term but I like to get out of my comfort zone. My dream, like many, is to take part in La Route du Rhum one day,” explains the eldest of the Pilliard family.
During this week-long stopover in Cape Town, the sails of Use It Again! by Extia were repaired at North Sails and a team of local preparers led by Pascal Riera, a Frenchman who has worked in the sailing industry in Cape Town for 20 years, carried out a complete check-up of the boat. Romain and Titouan Pilliard will leave Cape Town at the beginning of next week for a navigation of almost a month. See you at the beginning of August to welcome them to Brittany.
