Romain Pilliard (BBA 98): “I’M Sailing Westabout Around the World to Promote the Circular Economy”

Romain Pilliard (BBA 98) is about to sail westabout around the world on a renovated trimaran that once belonged to Ellen MacArthur. He’s taking on the challenge – completed by only five sailors in a century – to promote the circular economy and protect the oceans. 

ESSEC Alumni: What is your westabout round-the-world project all about? 

Romain Pilliard: Sailing westabout means going against the prevailing winds and currents, from east to west. Only five sailors have completed the challenge since Joshua Slocum did so in 1895, it’s the most difficult sailing record. I’ll leave in autumn, together with an international co-skipper. We’ll sail on the trimaran Ellen MacArthur used to beat the record for solo circumnavigation in 2005 – a beautiful symbol!

EA: You’ve renamed the trimaran “Use it Again !”. What’s the meaning behind that name, and your decision to use an older, renovated boat? 

R. Pilliard: My trimaran was optimised in line with the principles of the circular economy: reduce, reuse, recycle. By tackling a technical challenge of this magnitude with virtually no impact on the planet, I’m proving that great performances aren’t always the result of the race for innovation and technology, whose cost is becoming unbearable for the environment.

EA: Why did you choose the maritime world to promote the circular economy? 

R. Pilliard: My life revolves around sailing. I’ve loved sailing since I was a child and I turned to professional ocean racing shortly after studying at ESSEC. I then launched a sports marketing agency specialising in sailing, EOL, and the Tour de Belle-Île race, which has become the most popular race in France with 500 sailboats taking part. I’ve also founded a sailing club and a project management company for boat constructions.

EA: How do you apply the principles of the circular economy aboard your trimaran? 

R. Pilliard: To begin with, there’s the fact that we restored a sailboat that was likely going to end up in bits of carbon at landfill. Only second-hand parts were used as replacements on the catamaran, whether taken from other teams, or parts that had been refurbished by the suppliers. Similarly, we plan for each part’s end of life: instead of throwing them away, we look for ways to reuse them in another sector, or recycle them when possible. For example, certain parts of my mast are made using very technical fibres. When we need to replace them, they are sent to the Netherlands to be made into gloves that can resist very high temperatures. I go into detail on this in my interview on Brut. 

EA: More generally, how can the principles of the circular economy apply in the maritime sector?

R. Pilliard: First and foremost, reducing our impact on the environment – whether at sea or not – is a question of reducing consumption. When equipment needs changing, we should always ask ourselves whether there is an alternative solution to buying new. We need to be frugal to succeed. We also need to work on communication and exchanges between the various players in the sector, and others, to simplify re-use. This collaborative approach is the foundation of the circular economy, and I love that.

EA: You’ve been involved for a number of years. What changes have you seen over that time?

R. Pilliard: When I was getting the Use It Again ! trimaran ready to take part in the 2018 Route du Rhum race, not many people had heard of the circular economy. Today, the general public are familiar with its principles and they are seen in legislation such as the French law on waste. It’s a positive and significant change. But, aside from the objectives they boast about, companies still aren’t doing enough, and the majority seems to just comply with the requirements. Instead, they should be actively and fully turning to this environmentally friendly, sustainable and rewarding economy. The climate emergency has never been greater!

EA: You also want to take advantage of your trip around the world to create the first map of sound pollution in the world’s oceans...  

R. Pilliard: We’re going to sail through places that no one ever goes to, places for which scientists are seriously lacking in data. We might as well kill two birds with one stone! Using an acoustic recording system, we’ll be able to create the first sound map of the world’s oceans, which will help us to better understand the impact of human activity on cetaceans worldwide.

EA: How can our alumni support your project?

R. Pilliard: I’ve always stayed connected to ESSEC – I sponsored iMagination Week for BBA ESSEC in 2019, and this year I’m involved in a new think tank which will be announced soon. In turn, the community can support me by sharing my project on social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) or by sponsoring or becoming a benefactor for the Use It Again ! endowment fund.

Interview by par Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), ESSEC Alumni Content Manager 

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Image: © Julien Mignot