2024-11-10 14:23:00
“Compressed by emotion”, the 40 skippers of the 10e edition of the Vendée Globe left on Sunday November 10 for a new solo journey around the world, cheered by hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Les Sables-d’Olonne to say goodbye.
At 1:02 p.m., all the sailors involved peacefully began their journey, helped by good weather and a light wind (4 to 7 knots on average) greatly limiting the risk of collision between boats.
Along the Sables d’Olonne channel, a compact crowd formed even before daybreak. The skippers parade one by one, wave their arms, throw olas and sometimes wipe away a tear.
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In a light morning mist, the platforms are teeming with people and the balconies are packed. Several hundred thousand people applaud, perched on stepladders or holding signs at arm’s length with the words “Make us dream” and “With all my heart with you”.
A little earlier, on the pontoon, emotion was at its peak. Yellow hat matching his father’s, Arnaud Boissières’ son, 8 years old, is in tears. Kneeling in front of him, eyes closed and nose buried in his neck, the sailor hugged him for a long time.
“These are such intense hours, I am incredibly lucky to be at the start of this race. Even if I know that I annoy a lot of people: my son, my wife, my sister, my parents… “, he told the press a few minutes before casting off. The Sablais skipper of the Mie Câline begins his fifth Vendée Globe on Sunday.
“Sea water in the veins”
A little further on, Tanguy Le Turquais (Lazare) strides across the pontoon and climbs over a cordon to kiss his companion one last time, Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane), also at the start.
For his part, adventurer Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com) is in a perky mood. “You have before you a happy man, who will find his element again. I have sea water running through my veins,” he says.
With a smile, he tells his technical team: “If I am here, it’s thanks to you. But if I come back, it’s thanks to me.”
The skippers’ goodbyes to their loved ones continued for more than two hours, to the applause of the public, the hugs of the teams and the encouragement of several veterans, such as Armel Le Cléac’h, speed record holder for the event, or Catherine Chabaud, first woman to complete the race in 1997.
The Vendée Globe skippers set off on Sunday for a theoretical journey of 24,300 miles, or 45,000 km, passing through the three reference capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn). The fastest riders are expected to return to Les Sables d’Olonne from January 20.
“Surpassing oneself”
In 2020-2021, Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq), won in 80 days, 3 hours and 44 minutes after a journey full of twists and turns marked by a departure in the middle of the Covid-19 epidemic and the shipwreck of sailor Kevin Escoffier.
“These skippers are examples of bravery, courage and surpassing oneself. They give us breathing space in the midst of all this negative news coming from the world,” Maryvonne Robin, 63, twins around the world, told AFP. neck, coming from Tours to attend the departure.
At the Vendée Globe village, which broke its attendance record in three weeks of opening, hundreds of people followed the rise of the channel on a giant screen in the morning.
Leaving the pontoon among the first at around 8:15 a.m., Arnaud Boissières harangued the crowd at the front of the sailboat while his trainer, Jean-Christophe Caso, held the helm of the Imoca. “This is my sixth Vendée Globe start and the emotion remains the same,” says the “boat captain”.
According to tradition, four minutes before the gun goes off, the last crew member on each sailboat jumped into the sea to let their skipper go to the line alone. Off the coast of Les Sables d’Olonne, the sailboats set off at 1:02 p.m. sharp.
However, the weather forecast for the first days of the race will not work in favor of the sailors. Like Sunday, the light weather should limit the risk of breakage and also slow down the fleet significantly up to the coast of Cape Finisterre, in Spain.
The first sailors are expected back in Vendée in mid-January to reunite with their loved ones and a packed crowd.
With AFP
1731315329 French skipper Charlie Dalin, a big favorite, leaves the pontoon aboard his Imoca 60 “Apivia - Macif Santé Prévoyance” before the start of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, November 10, 2024. © Sébastien Salom-Gomis, AFP
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As the yachts departed into the open sea, spectators cheered from the shore, and a palpable sense of excitement filled the air. Each sailor embarked on this grueling solo journey that challenges the limits of human endurance and determination. This year’s event promises fierce competition and the spirit of adventure that the Vendée Globe is known for, with the skippers poised to face the unpredictable elements of the ocean over the coming weeks.
