French veteran eyes chance for Olympic glory on home waters

Having just passed his 37th birthday by the time he’s on the Marseille start line for the Olympic Regatta, Bernaz will be one of the most experienced and accomplished competitors in the men’s dinghy ILCA 7 fleet. 

Over the past four Olympic Regattas since Beijing 2008 his finishing positions read 8th, 10th, 5th, 6th. The Olympic podium has eluded him but World Championship victory in 2022 and many other successes in recent years mark Bernaz out as a serious medal contender. 

Bernaz is making the most of his time at Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyères. 

“This is our last rehearsal here. We have around 20 starts left to take before the Olympics, 20 opportunities to line up alongside the best,” smiles Bernaz, at 1.90m also one of the tallest in the ILCA fleet. “We have put in a lot of work since the World Championships in January. There was a lot of physical work in losing weight to see what that felt like.  

“I also got hold of equipment that I don’t know so well, in order to adapt. At the Games we are given a supplied boat that we do not control, so we need to be ready for any variations in the equipment. 

“And of course we continue to work on the usual things, the starts, the speed, the crossings, the tactics.” 

Bernaz will of course be drawing on the experience from four previous Olympic Regattas, but points out: “It has always been different each each time. Of course, my age is different every time, and my physique and my knowledge also. And this time will feel very different because it’s a home Games.” 

The Frenchman admits to being excited and daunted at the same time. 

“It’s exciting to be racing in front of a home crowd in France, but at the same time I’m a bit scared to lose energy with all the media, the extra attention and so on. But we get the opportunity to share what we do with friends, family, everyone, which is pretty nice.” 

Bernaz believes his long experience in the ILCA class helps him ‘avoid the traps’. 

“I have sailed the boat so long now, I know the places where the traps and I know how to avoid them.” 

But he points out that experience can be a double-edged sword. 

“It’s tricky because sometimes it means you have already closed the door, closed your mind to ideas. This is probably my last campaign in the ILCA and I told myself I don’t want to regret anything. So I have focused a lot on reopening the door and trying different ways of doing things again.” 

In a simple one-design boat where everyone has to work with the same equipment, success or failure in the ILCA comes down to the tiny details. 

Having honed his skills over the best part of 20 years, Bernaz’s decision to re-explore some of the fundamentals is not so different to a professional golfer dismantling his swing and rebuilding it from scratch. 

“I have been working on my hiking position in the boat, changing the way I trim the sail, working on different ways of starting,” says Bernaz.  

“Generally I have good speed so it’s good for me to start from the middle of the line and avoid too many big risks on the race course, but there are three or four guys who are really good at playing a higher game of risk and making it work from different ends of the start line. 

“So it’s those kinds of things where I am reopening the door and trying things a bit differently from normal.” 

Where his Games experience could really count is knowing how to deal with the unusual environment of an Olympics, with helicopters buzzing overhead as well as the relentless media pressure. 

“My focus for these Games is to keep on playing the game, because it is a game. I think the worst thing I could do is win the first race and then go into defensive mode. Because defence is the first step towards losing. So I really want to go and play, and stay loose and not worry too much about the situation.” 

Bernaz believes France has the opportunity to become top sailing nation at their home Olympics and he looks forward to contributing to the team effort. 

“We have good chances in the new events like kite and windsurfing, and there is a good team spirit.” 

And even if he believes this will be his last campaign in the ILCA, Bernaz refuses to rule out another push for Los Angeles 2028. 

“I love the ILCA and it’s currently the only place in the sport where I can compete at the really top level, but I love doing campaigns and I am open to new possibilities.” 

Meanwhile he works hard towards realising the dream of a medal on home waters in front of a home crowd. If Bernaz does indeed reach the podium, the first person he will call to share the moment is his father Laurent. “He pushed me when I was sailing in Optimists as a kid, and he was a Laser [ILCA] sailor himself, so he has always been involved in my career. So if I win the medal my father is the first one I will call.”