a transferring departure for 40 skippers looking for the Everest of the seas | EUROtoday
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LThe race is on. The begin of the Vendée Globe 2024 was given this Sunday, November 10 at 1:02 p.m.. Forty skippers set off to assault the oceans, crossing the Atlantic earlier than diving into the Indian and the Pacific. In the house of 1 morning, the sailors skilled intense moments, mixing feelings and adrenaline. The poignant farewells to family members, the leisure on the pontoons, the joy of the channel and the festive ambiance, nourished by the presence of lots of of 1000’s of spectators, made this departure an unforgettable second.
35 years in the past, many individuals thought of these sailors to be loopy adventurers. Ten editions later, there are nonetheless so a lot of them responding to the decision of the ocean, able to embark on this extraordinary journey. Forty skippers, aged 23 to 65, have devoted years of preparation and coaching to search out themselves there, able to problem the immensity of the seas and discover a universe that solely a privileged few know.
A glance again on the first pages of the Vendée Globe 2024 chapter.
An electrical ambiance
From 5 a.m., the Sables-d’Olonne channel was invaded by 1000’s of supporters, some having spent the evening on the quays. The ambiance was electrified by songs, shouts of pleasure, and waving flags. The spectators shaped a human sea, every look of the sailors having triggered a wave of pleasure, as acknowledged The Team.
This yr, after the years of pandemic, the reunion between the skippers and the general public was notably transferring. The ambiance, marked by contagious enthusiasm, celebrated each the collective ardour of the area’s inhabitants and that of tourists from everywhere in the world. As the beginning line approached, rigidity mounted, mixing with a delight shared by all.
Calm climate
The begin of the tenth Vendée Globe introduced a lot calmer climate than anticipated. Unlike the highly effective winds typical of November, the ocean was virtually flat and the boats struggled to exceed 8 km/h. “It was even calmer than we expected,” confided Julien Pulvé, co-skipper of the Maître Coq group. “In addition, a chop coming from offshore disrupted navigation even additional, slowing down the boats regardless of the sunshine breeze. »
ALSO READ Vendée Globe 2024: an journey as a lot as a raceDespite this calm, the skippers ready to face 45,000 kilometers of lonely sea, with out help or stopovers. They will cross the legendary capes – Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn – earlier than returning throughout the Atlantic to cross the end line in Les Sables-d’Olonne.
A dozen favorites
The contenders to succeed Yannick Bestaven, reigning champion, are able to take up the problem of the tenth Vendée Globe. The goal: to finish the circumnavigation in lower than 70 days aboard ultra-modern IMOCAs, 18 meter monohulls with foils. If circumstances allow, Armel Le Cléac’h’s file (74 days, 3 hours) may very well be crushed. This version, which welcomes a file variety of 40 contributors, guarantees to be distinctive.
Among the favorites, Thomas Ruyant, double winner of the Transat Jacques-Vabre and the Route du rhum, advantages from stable preparation. Jérémie Beyou, along with his expertise and the mentorship of Franck Cammas, hopes to lastly obtain victory after a untimely retirement in 2020. Jean Le Cam, regardless of a much less environment friendly boat, stays a legend to observe, whereas Violette Dorange, 23 years outdated, made her debut in Imoca, decided to shock, even with out foils and with restricted means.
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