Vendee Globe 2016 Solo Round the World: Sailors Prepared to Rip!
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| Image Hugo Boss Vendee Globe 2016 Read to Go! |
On October 4 Vendee Globe fired away in red the countdown. The start gun rolled closer...32 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes and counting…
The prestigious Regatta will be a marathon and not a sprint race. Round the World this is the only Regatta that goes Solo without assistance. What is needed is sheer will power, experience and simply put ocean mastery and sailing expertise.
How big an event is the Vendee Globe in the World of Sports? IMOCA Ocean Masters assures that it's “The Next Big Thing” of 2016 after the Euro football tournament and the Rio Olympics. One of the beautiful things about the Vendee is that it has no age restrictions. In fact Sailing Round the World is one of the few sports in which -like wine aging does a difference.
“Aged between 23 and 66, the Skippers taking part represent Four Continents and Ten Nations. Never has the Non-Stop Solo Round the World Race brought together such an eclectic line-up. The 2016-2017 Vendée Globe will also be the first edition for the seven new IMOCA 60s fitted with foils,” organizers warned fans to get ready for action.
Seven new IMOCA boats have been fitted with L-Shaped foils. The foils do not actually allow the monohull to fly but get really close. On high wind trimming conditions the monohulls with the new L-Foils lift the hull almost entirely out of the water. But new foils have been questioned due to their performance in high wind conditions, fragility and potential to cause real damage to the boat´s main structures. But beyond the foil-debate there is much more than what meets the eye at the Vendee 2016.
“This battle between different technological concepts is going to be fascinating, especially when we remember that in a race as long and demanding as the Vendée Globe, it is the sailors, who make all the difference,” Vendee Globe recognized the true element that will set the pace of the race...the human element.
Who are the crazy 29 Skippers to take on the adventure?
Stars have not only confirmed their presence but have been training hard in and out the IMOCA World Circuit. Who is expected to put on a show? Alex Thompson sailing the mystical Hugo Boss, Nandor sailing Spirit of Hungary, Bertrand de Broc with her MACSF, Jean Le Calm and the Finistere, Sebastian Josse with the Edmond de Rothschild, Armel le Cleac´h and the Banque Populaire VIII, Morgan Lagraviere with Safran and Jeremie Beyou with the Maitre COQ -who recently won the New York Transatlantic Vendee are expected to show up and sail hard...but so are the rest of the Solo Teams.
Preparation is the key of the Vendee Globe. And Sailors begin to show their teeth.
French Sailor Armel Le Cleac´h told Sail World that he is already on the hunt to take the race.
Riding the Banque Populaire Le Cleac´h will be stirring one of fastest boats of the fleet of hungry competitors. But in these boats tremendous speed comes with a consequence, fragility of structure. The faster a boat can swing the faster it can be torn to pieces if not reinforced and sailed perfectly to its limits. Banque Populaire assures to have made the necessary adjustments to ride speed out. For the Team of Banque Populaire it is not about the fastest boat but about the sailor behind the wheel and ropes.
“Even if you give him a slower boat, Armel (Le Cleac´h) will find creative ways to make it faster,” Kevin Escoffier Head of Engineering for Team Banque Populaire and winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005 told Sail World.
Experience has taught the French sailor well at open seas. In previous Vendee battles he suffered damages to main sail and technical issues but this did not put a break to his ambition. In 2013 the Sailor finished in a close second place. Le Cleac´h assures that he has been thinking about the Vendee Globe for the past three years.
“I have really focused on the Vendée Globe since the new boat was put in the water,” Le Cléac’h said. “We have been sailing with the foils for about a year and have learned a lot, although we are still learning as well.”
During the 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre Le Cléac’h’s Banque Populaire was the only boat of four with foils to finish the race.
“A Jackal will always hunt for his prey and will never let go,” his Head Engineer Escoffier told Sail World. “It is also the Figaro mentality, because you are always seeking to improve your speed at all times in that race, just as Armel will do in the Vendée Globe.”
But it is not only speed which will take you across an Ocean and then another. Perseverance and managing difficulties and solving big problems is essential, especially when one is doing all this time-and-space consuming sailing alone while facing the harshest elements that nature can throw at you.
The Spanish Sailor Didac Costa knows that too well and is facing really big problems even before reaching port and starting line. Costa however is adapting and surviving and striving.
On September 30 Spanish Sailor Costa riding the One Planet One Ocean IMOCA 60 gave a press conference where he assured everyone -fans and competitors alike that he would press on the tidal seas even after his boat had been struck by lighting.
The One Ocean One Planet IMOCA boat received the entire force of a lighting bolt directly from the skies streaming down the main metal mast. The shock of energy was enough to disable and damage irreparably necessary electronics which the Spanish Sailor Costa needs to go Round the World safely.
During the Press Conference -with little more than a month to go before the start gun Costa pledged commitment and urged for new sponsors to help cover the unexpected costs of repairs necessary to get his incredible boat ocean wet.
“Dídac Costa has shown today he is absolutely determined to overcome one or more obstacles on his way to the start line of the Vendée Globe. Costa will be the fourth Spanish sailor who has attempted to complete this gruelling race, after José de Ugarte (the only one to complete the course), Javier Sanso (twice) and Unaï Basurko,” Vendee Globe reported.
What does Costa need? Only 70 thousands Euros to make the magic happen.
“The fight to have a project at the start line has been epic. In order to start I spent all my savings and to be able to keep going I mortgaged my house and some members of my team asked for a loan to the bank to help me. In addition, many other people have helped me and this support has been crucial. I'm very stubborn, but from now I only have to think about the boat, about sailing, about getting ready, about keep going; and forget all those things we've been through in these months of preparation. The most dangerous thing for me is not to be patient. Trying to sort things out as quickly as possible to gain time if you are sailing alone is dangerous sometimes,” Costa found inspiring words to answer to the ground problems. This kind of positive mindset and spirit can play in one's favor out in the labyrinthum of open ocean waters.
But prior-to-start problems have not only stigmatized Costa but others as well. Sebastien Destreauç lost his entire mast during Official Vendee Security Checks. But Destreauç pulled out of the sticky situation with ease and got his hands on a brand new mast that will do the work very fast.
“We were doing the 90° stability test required by the IMOCA class. As we put the boat over on her side, one of the shrouds snapped and the mast broke in four pieces. All that just two months before the start of the Vendée Globe… But we weren’t ready to give up and everyone just kept going. We decided to continue with the preparation, as if nothing had happened. All I had to do was find a replacement solution for the mast,” Destreauç words seem to make everyone smile...sure all you need is a mast why not?
“We turned this disaster around to turn it into a real opportunity,” the Skipper which has already obtained the needed spirit and mentality to face open Round the World Ocean waters said.
Sailor Destreauç is also on a another very interesting campaign. He is a firm believer that big things can be accomplished with small budgets and his IMOCA Vendee Globe 2016 project is all about that.
“I’m trying to prove that the Vendée Globe can remain an affordable race and that the mountain that needs to be climbed can be conquered. A lot of people can take part. You just have to be up for it, roll up your sleeves and work hard,” Destreauç told the press.
Others despite finding more calm waters are already on their way to the Les Sables d’Olonne and they are looking dangerous.
Kito de Pavant is ready to line up for his third Vendée Globe. His IMOCA 60 Bastide Otio looks rested and ready to roll.
Sebastien Josse on the Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana Team) will also be taking the Vendee Globe for the third time but he will be sailing Around the World for a fifth time. Josse went into exhaustive details when My Sailing Australia asked him “how do you best prepare for such an adventure?
Josse and his Team have been putting in hard days and long nights of work and preparations for the past three years to reach this point. Team Gitana with the IMOCA Edmond de Rothschild was one of the first IMOCA 60s to make headlines running L-shaped foils hard. But Sebastien Josse puts as much emphasis on essentials needed onboard to handle Round the World ventures as he does in pushing innovation and design boundaries.
“You need to find the right balance between wanting to prevent any potential issues and playing to Win,” Josse told the press.
“We’re striving to make light boats so we can’t then overload them because we’re setting off Round the World. What’s complicated to handle is the ‘you never know’ scenario. With experience, you manage to make choices, but it’s never easy,” Josse kicked it.
What exactly does Josse fit into his IMOCA 60? The list is incredibly long...Survival Gear, lifebuoy, fire extinguishers, flares and GPS distress beacons )all at hands reach), wetsuits and life raft, satellite telephone, harness, self-inflating lifejacket, personal flashlight, 9 sails, 1 mainsail and 8 headsails -weighing 500 kilos, bags of food, clothing and tools bags -all trimmable to adjust weight for sail perfection, ropework capable of withstanding a 9.85-tonne load, toolkits and spare equipment; composite, resin, fabric, electronic soldering, sail repair kits, engine kits, navigation essentials in case case system fails, nautical almanac, shelter locations, paper charts, tools, technology, drone, Ipads, Iphone, portable bluetooth speaker, audio books, antenna for internet and satellite phone, sleeping gear, memory foam mattress, sleeping bag, active noise reduction helmet, hygiene essentials, organic soap, wipes, sunscreen, healing cream, toothbrush, toothpaste and stuff for shaving, medical equipment; First Aid kit to treat certain pathologies and emergencies, Jetboil -aluminium mug mounted on a blowtorch which can boil water in 1 minute and lots of dehydrated food dishes.
When it comes to clothing Sébastien Josse carries two sets of foulies aboard (salopettes and jacket), one light and one warmer, as well as a drysuit for rough weather conditions. He then carries ten or so sub-layers made of Merino wool and anti-impact Lycra. He has a lifejacket with a harness and a tether attached to the boat for when he has to go up forward to carry out manoeuvres and may use a helmet to scale the mast.
Josse years of sailing alone in the wild open has taught him that food is very important. He and his Team partnered with Michelin-starred Chef Julien Gatillon who prepares all the meals which are dehydrated to keep it simple and weight down.
“Imagine yourself on a boat for over 75 days, 24/7, with no fridge or fresh water on tap, with only a kettle for a kitchen…Feeding yourself inevitably becomes more of a necessity than a pleasure. However, for his meals, the skipper of Gitana 16 is lucky enough to have a ‘secret weapon’: he has been able to benefit from the talents of Julien Gatillon, the 2-star chef at Le 1920, the Chalet du Mont d’Arbois’ gourmet restaurant, one of the jewels of the Rothschild domain in Megève. With a view to keeping the weight down, 90% of Sébastien’s meals will be dehydrated but he will keep a few sachets of fresh dishes, particularly for the first few days of racing,” My Sailing Australia reported.
Young guns are also playing a vital freshening part in this new edition of the Vendee Globe. With only 29 years of age Morgan Lagravière will run the IMOCA 60 Safran. Safran put all its faith in this new talent who explained that he is up to a “Huge Challenge!”.
“As a child, I sailed with my parents, but somehow, the Vendée Globe was not a dream. Today, this challenge is rather the continuation of my career. After several years of regattas in Olympic or Figaro classes, I did my first Transat on IMOCA double handed in 2014 and solo a year later. Today, I am preparing for the start of a Round the World solo, the challenge has never been greater for me. When you leave the Solitaire du Figaro for a Transatlantic, you go from a 3-day race to a 10-day crossing...Today I am going straight to 80 days without transition!" Morgan Lagraviere said.
Safran will also be sailing new foils which are really fresh off the shelf. The boat went through lots of new changes from structure to sails to rudder optimizations. The thing is that IMOCA 60s have had real problems with rudders when the new foils are adapted -a pretty obvious scenario which Teams have had to resolve.
“We were able to identify where the noise came from during sailing -the rudder. The problem is solved. We got rid of the rattling, it's much better," the Rookie Sailor with a big ambition was transparent about it.
"Physically, I am preparing every day...for the mental preparation, I talk a lot with Bilou (Roland Jourdain), mainly about his experience in the Southern Ocean, the longest and most thrilling section of the Vendée Globe...I also have a coach, Jean-Claude Ménard, and together we are finding proven techniques to strengthen my mental attitude," Safran Skipper said.
How will the Vendee Globe 2016 play out will not be completely unexpected. Recent IMOCA regattas specially the Azimut Challenge and the Vendee New York - France revealed what will soon come.
The Azimut Challenge ended just weeks before the Vendee Globe and was described as “real dress rehearsal”. The top podium positions were taken by foilers.
“It was an all folier podium at the first race of the Azimut Challenge in Lorient, with the new generation of IMOCA 60s proving their grit on the course,” Azimut organizers concluded.
But foils have an achilles heel, reliability. As mentioned before they can cause serious structural damage when running in high speeds and supporting pressure and force. The hull of Banque Populaire was redesigned to better absorb shock in case of an impact.
The Azimut 24-Hour race ended with Banque Populaire VIII first, Safran second and Maitre CoQ third. Order of appearance to the finish line after top three were; SMA, PRB, Edmond de Rothschild, Leucemie Espoir, du Nord, Virbac, MACSF, Initiatives-Coeur and 100% Natural Energy -who retired.
The Vendee New York Transatlantic to France -which ended in June this year gave the fleet and viewers an even better preview of what will happen at the Vendee Globe. It was a Solo Transatlantic race vastly longer than the Azimut Challenge proving to be vital doorway to the Vendee Globe. With greater distances the New York Vendee Les Sables d’Olonne
14 competitors battled head to head. IMOCAs old generation boats and the new generation boats fitted with new foils tested each other for the first time.
Jérémie Beyou’s Maître Coq -took first position after Hugo Boss lead almost all the way. Hugo Boss finished third losing second to Edmond de Rothschild. Foilers did well and everyone took note of the first lessons given by the new foiling generation IMOCAs. Lots of boats were forced to abandon the race in the early days due to collisions with unidentified floating objects hidden behind a thick New York Ocean fog.
“I’m well aware that there were boats forced out, a lot of damage, but I managed to keep ahead of some Skippers, who are real champions,” winner Jérémie Beyou Maitre CoQ told the press at the end line.
“Alex Thomson is a reference in the IMOCA class and we don’t need to present Sébastien Josse, who has so many qualities. Maître CoQ also managed to hold out against two big teams, Gitana Team and Hugo Boss,” he added.
“This win is extremely important in itself, as this New York-Vendée is a major ocean race, but it is also important as we look forward to the Vendée Globe. There’s no hiding place for me now,” Beyou kicked it.
Alex Thomson did in fact lead the fleet during the largest part of that race, setting a hellish pace for his rivals. The British skipper had quite a scare when his autopilot failed causing his boat to go over, which enabled his two nearest rivals to overtake him.
“Finishing third is a fantastic success, not just for me, but for the whole team,” Thompson said.
“Just weeks ago the boat was in the shed, undergoing major repairs. Today we crossed the finish line in third place, in what was an incredibly challenging race. This result has put us in a fantastic position ahead of the Vendée Globe,” the mystical skipper of the Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 said.
Lots of water has gone by since then but all Teams look as ready today as they were then. The Vendee Globe 2016 is about to rip through the World´s Ocean again. Since it started a total of 136 Sailors attempted to finish the challenge...of these only 70 top sailors have ever completed a Vendee Globe...a truly select privileged few.
Solo, Non-Stop, Unassisted Round the World via the Capes Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn. A 25,000-mile course with a record set by MACIF in 2013 of 78 days and 2 hours.
Once out there, it will be them and the ocean…
Vendee Globe 2016.
The prestigious Regatta will be a marathon and not a sprint race. Round the World this is the only Regatta that goes Solo without assistance. What is needed is sheer will power, experience and simply put ocean mastery and sailing expertise.
How big an event is the Vendee Globe in the World of Sports? IMOCA Ocean Masters assures that it's “The Next Big Thing” of 2016 after the Euro football tournament and the Rio Olympics. One of the beautiful things about the Vendee is that it has no age restrictions. In fact Sailing Round the World is one of the few sports in which -like wine aging does a difference.
“Aged between 23 and 66, the Skippers taking part represent Four Continents and Ten Nations. Never has the Non-Stop Solo Round the World Race brought together such an eclectic line-up. The 2016-2017 Vendée Globe will also be the first edition for the seven new IMOCA 60s fitted with foils,” organizers warned fans to get ready for action.
Seven new IMOCA boats have been fitted with L-Shaped foils. The foils do not actually allow the monohull to fly but get really close. On high wind trimming conditions the monohulls with the new L-Foils lift the hull almost entirely out of the water. But new foils have been questioned due to their performance in high wind conditions, fragility and potential to cause real damage to the boat´s main structures. But beyond the foil-debate there is much more than what meets the eye at the Vendee 2016.
“This battle between different technological concepts is going to be fascinating, especially when we remember that in a race as long and demanding as the Vendée Globe, it is the sailors, who make all the difference,” Vendee Globe recognized the true element that will set the pace of the race...the human element.
Who are the crazy 29 Skippers to take on the adventure?
Stars have not only confirmed their presence but have been training hard in and out the IMOCA World Circuit. Who is expected to put on a show? Alex Thompson sailing the mystical Hugo Boss, Nandor sailing Spirit of Hungary, Bertrand de Broc with her MACSF, Jean Le Calm and the Finistere, Sebastian Josse with the Edmond de Rothschild, Armel le Cleac´h and the Banque Populaire VIII, Morgan Lagraviere with Safran and Jeremie Beyou with the Maitre COQ -who recently won the New York Transatlantic Vendee are expected to show up and sail hard...but so are the rest of the Solo Teams.
Preparation is the key of the Vendee Globe. And Sailors begin to show their teeth.
French Sailor Armel Le Cleac´h told Sail World that he is already on the hunt to take the race.
Riding the Banque Populaire Le Cleac´h will be stirring one of fastest boats of the fleet of hungry competitors. But in these boats tremendous speed comes with a consequence, fragility of structure. The faster a boat can swing the faster it can be torn to pieces if not reinforced and sailed perfectly to its limits. Banque Populaire assures to have made the necessary adjustments to ride speed out. For the Team of Banque Populaire it is not about the fastest boat but about the sailor behind the wheel and ropes.
“Even if you give him a slower boat, Armel (Le Cleac´h) will find creative ways to make it faster,” Kevin Escoffier Head of Engineering for Team Banque Populaire and winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005 told Sail World.
Experience has taught the French sailor well at open seas. In previous Vendee battles he suffered damages to main sail and technical issues but this did not put a break to his ambition. In 2013 the Sailor finished in a close second place. Le Cleac´h assures that he has been thinking about the Vendee Globe for the past three years.
“I have really focused on the Vendée Globe since the new boat was put in the water,” Le Cléac’h said. “We have been sailing with the foils for about a year and have learned a lot, although we are still learning as well.”
During the 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre Le Cléac’h’s Banque Populaire was the only boat of four with foils to finish the race.
“A Jackal will always hunt for his prey and will never let go,” his Head Engineer Escoffier told Sail World. “It is also the Figaro mentality, because you are always seeking to improve your speed at all times in that race, just as Armel will do in the Vendée Globe.”
But it is not only speed which will take you across an Ocean and then another. Perseverance and managing difficulties and solving big problems is essential, especially when one is doing all this time-and-space consuming sailing alone while facing the harshest elements that nature can throw at you.
The Spanish Sailor Didac Costa knows that too well and is facing really big problems even before reaching port and starting line. Costa however is adapting and surviving and striving.
On September 30 Spanish Sailor Costa riding the One Planet One Ocean IMOCA 60 gave a press conference where he assured everyone -fans and competitors alike that he would press on the tidal seas even after his boat had been struck by lighting.
The One Ocean One Planet IMOCA boat received the entire force of a lighting bolt directly from the skies streaming down the main metal mast. The shock of energy was enough to disable and damage irreparably necessary electronics which the Spanish Sailor Costa needs to go Round the World safely.
During the Press Conference -with little more than a month to go before the start gun Costa pledged commitment and urged for new sponsors to help cover the unexpected costs of repairs necessary to get his incredible boat ocean wet.
“Dídac Costa has shown today he is absolutely determined to overcome one or more obstacles on his way to the start line of the Vendée Globe. Costa will be the fourth Spanish sailor who has attempted to complete this gruelling race, after José de Ugarte (the only one to complete the course), Javier Sanso (twice) and Unaï Basurko,” Vendee Globe reported.
What does Costa need? Only 70 thousands Euros to make the magic happen.
“The fight to have a project at the start line has been epic. In order to start I spent all my savings and to be able to keep going I mortgaged my house and some members of my team asked for a loan to the bank to help me. In addition, many other people have helped me and this support has been crucial. I'm very stubborn, but from now I only have to think about the boat, about sailing, about getting ready, about keep going; and forget all those things we've been through in these months of preparation. The most dangerous thing for me is not to be patient. Trying to sort things out as quickly as possible to gain time if you are sailing alone is dangerous sometimes,” Costa found inspiring words to answer to the ground problems. This kind of positive mindset and spirit can play in one's favor out in the labyrinthum of open ocean waters.
But prior-to-start problems have not only stigmatized Costa but others as well. Sebastien Destreauç lost his entire mast during Official Vendee Security Checks. But Destreauç pulled out of the sticky situation with ease and got his hands on a brand new mast that will do the work very fast.
“We were doing the 90° stability test required by the IMOCA class. As we put the boat over on her side, one of the shrouds snapped and the mast broke in four pieces. All that just two months before the start of the Vendée Globe… But we weren’t ready to give up and everyone just kept going. We decided to continue with the preparation, as if nothing had happened. All I had to do was find a replacement solution for the mast,” Destreauç words seem to make everyone smile...sure all you need is a mast why not?
“We turned this disaster around to turn it into a real opportunity,” the Skipper which has already obtained the needed spirit and mentality to face open Round the World Ocean waters said.
Sailor Destreauç is also on a another very interesting campaign. He is a firm believer that big things can be accomplished with small budgets and his IMOCA Vendee Globe 2016 project is all about that.
“I’m trying to prove that the Vendée Globe can remain an affordable race and that the mountain that needs to be climbed can be conquered. A lot of people can take part. You just have to be up for it, roll up your sleeves and work hard,” Destreauç told the press.
Others despite finding more calm waters are already on their way to the Les Sables d’Olonne and they are looking dangerous.
Kito de Pavant is ready to line up for his third Vendée Globe. His IMOCA 60 Bastide Otio looks rested and ready to roll.
Sebastien Josse on the Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana Team) will also be taking the Vendee Globe for the third time but he will be sailing Around the World for a fifth time. Josse went into exhaustive details when My Sailing Australia asked him “how do you best prepare for such an adventure?
Josse and his Team have been putting in hard days and long nights of work and preparations for the past three years to reach this point. Team Gitana with the IMOCA Edmond de Rothschild was one of the first IMOCA 60s to make headlines running L-shaped foils hard. But Sebastien Josse puts as much emphasis on essentials needed onboard to handle Round the World ventures as he does in pushing innovation and design boundaries.
“You need to find the right balance between wanting to prevent any potential issues and playing to Win,” Josse told the press.
“We’re striving to make light boats so we can’t then overload them because we’re setting off Round the World. What’s complicated to handle is the ‘you never know’ scenario. With experience, you manage to make choices, but it’s never easy,” Josse kicked it.
What exactly does Josse fit into his IMOCA 60? The list is incredibly long...Survival Gear, lifebuoy, fire extinguishers, flares and GPS distress beacons )all at hands reach), wetsuits and life raft, satellite telephone, harness, self-inflating lifejacket, personal flashlight, 9 sails, 1 mainsail and 8 headsails -weighing 500 kilos, bags of food, clothing and tools bags -all trimmable to adjust weight for sail perfection, ropework capable of withstanding a 9.85-tonne load, toolkits and spare equipment; composite, resin, fabric, electronic soldering, sail repair kits, engine kits, navigation essentials in case case system fails, nautical almanac, shelter locations, paper charts, tools, technology, drone, Ipads, Iphone, portable bluetooth speaker, audio books, antenna for internet and satellite phone, sleeping gear, memory foam mattress, sleeping bag, active noise reduction helmet, hygiene essentials, organic soap, wipes, sunscreen, healing cream, toothbrush, toothpaste and stuff for shaving, medical equipment; First Aid kit to treat certain pathologies and emergencies, Jetboil -aluminium mug mounted on a blowtorch which can boil water in 1 minute and lots of dehydrated food dishes.
When it comes to clothing Sébastien Josse carries two sets of foulies aboard (salopettes and jacket), one light and one warmer, as well as a drysuit for rough weather conditions. He then carries ten or so sub-layers made of Merino wool and anti-impact Lycra. He has a lifejacket with a harness and a tether attached to the boat for when he has to go up forward to carry out manoeuvres and may use a helmet to scale the mast.
Josse years of sailing alone in the wild open has taught him that food is very important. He and his Team partnered with Michelin-starred Chef Julien Gatillon who prepares all the meals which are dehydrated to keep it simple and weight down.
“Imagine yourself on a boat for over 75 days, 24/7, with no fridge or fresh water on tap, with only a kettle for a kitchen…Feeding yourself inevitably becomes more of a necessity than a pleasure. However, for his meals, the skipper of Gitana 16 is lucky enough to have a ‘secret weapon’: he has been able to benefit from the talents of Julien Gatillon, the 2-star chef at Le 1920, the Chalet du Mont d’Arbois’ gourmet restaurant, one of the jewels of the Rothschild domain in Megève. With a view to keeping the weight down, 90% of Sébastien’s meals will be dehydrated but he will keep a few sachets of fresh dishes, particularly for the first few days of racing,” My Sailing Australia reported.
Young guns are also playing a vital freshening part in this new edition of the Vendee Globe. With only 29 years of age Morgan Lagravière will run the IMOCA 60 Safran. Safran put all its faith in this new talent who explained that he is up to a “Huge Challenge!”.
“As a child, I sailed with my parents, but somehow, the Vendée Globe was not a dream. Today, this challenge is rather the continuation of my career. After several years of regattas in Olympic or Figaro classes, I did my first Transat on IMOCA double handed in 2014 and solo a year later. Today, I am preparing for the start of a Round the World solo, the challenge has never been greater for me. When you leave the Solitaire du Figaro for a Transatlantic, you go from a 3-day race to a 10-day crossing...Today I am going straight to 80 days without transition!" Morgan Lagraviere said.
Safran will also be sailing new foils which are really fresh off the shelf. The boat went through lots of new changes from structure to sails to rudder optimizations. The thing is that IMOCA 60s have had real problems with rudders when the new foils are adapted -a pretty obvious scenario which Teams have had to resolve.
“We were able to identify where the noise came from during sailing -the rudder. The problem is solved. We got rid of the rattling, it's much better," the Rookie Sailor with a big ambition was transparent about it.
"Physically, I am preparing every day...for the mental preparation, I talk a lot with Bilou (Roland Jourdain), mainly about his experience in the Southern Ocean, the longest and most thrilling section of the Vendée Globe...I also have a coach, Jean-Claude Ménard, and together we are finding proven techniques to strengthen my mental attitude," Safran Skipper said.
How will the Vendee Globe 2016 play out will not be completely unexpected. Recent IMOCA regattas specially the Azimut Challenge and the Vendee New York - France revealed what will soon come.
The Azimut Challenge ended just weeks before the Vendee Globe and was described as “real dress rehearsal”. The top podium positions were taken by foilers.
“It was an all folier podium at the first race of the Azimut Challenge in Lorient, with the new generation of IMOCA 60s proving their grit on the course,” Azimut organizers concluded.
But foils have an achilles heel, reliability. As mentioned before they can cause serious structural damage when running in high speeds and supporting pressure and force. The hull of Banque Populaire was redesigned to better absorb shock in case of an impact.
The Azimut 24-Hour race ended with Banque Populaire VIII first, Safran second and Maitre CoQ third. Order of appearance to the finish line after top three were; SMA, PRB, Edmond de Rothschild, Leucemie Espoir, du Nord, Virbac, MACSF, Initiatives-Coeur and 100% Natural Energy -who retired.
The Vendee New York Transatlantic to France -which ended in June this year gave the fleet and viewers an even better preview of what will happen at the Vendee Globe. It was a Solo Transatlantic race vastly longer than the Azimut Challenge proving to be vital doorway to the Vendee Globe. With greater distances the New York Vendee Les Sables d’Olonne
14 competitors battled head to head. IMOCAs old generation boats and the new generation boats fitted with new foils tested each other for the first time.
Jérémie Beyou’s Maître Coq -took first position after Hugo Boss lead almost all the way. Hugo Boss finished third losing second to Edmond de Rothschild. Foilers did well and everyone took note of the first lessons given by the new foiling generation IMOCAs. Lots of boats were forced to abandon the race in the early days due to collisions with unidentified floating objects hidden behind a thick New York Ocean fog.
“I’m well aware that there were boats forced out, a lot of damage, but I managed to keep ahead of some Skippers, who are real champions,” winner Jérémie Beyou Maitre CoQ told the press at the end line.
“Alex Thomson is a reference in the IMOCA class and we don’t need to present Sébastien Josse, who has so many qualities. Maître CoQ also managed to hold out against two big teams, Gitana Team and Hugo Boss,” he added.
“This win is extremely important in itself, as this New York-Vendée is a major ocean race, but it is also important as we look forward to the Vendée Globe. There’s no hiding place for me now,” Beyou kicked it.
Alex Thomson did in fact lead the fleet during the largest part of that race, setting a hellish pace for his rivals. The British skipper had quite a scare when his autopilot failed causing his boat to go over, which enabled his two nearest rivals to overtake him.
“Finishing third is a fantastic success, not just for me, but for the whole team,” Thompson said.
“Just weeks ago the boat was in the shed, undergoing major repairs. Today we crossed the finish line in third place, in what was an incredibly challenging race. This result has put us in a fantastic position ahead of the Vendée Globe,” the mystical skipper of the Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 said.
Lots of water has gone by since then but all Teams look as ready today as they were then. The Vendee Globe 2016 is about to rip through the World´s Ocean again. Since it started a total of 136 Sailors attempted to finish the challenge...of these only 70 top sailors have ever completed a Vendee Globe...a truly select privileged few.
Solo, Non-Stop, Unassisted Round the World via the Capes Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn. A 25,000-mile course with a record set by MACIF in 2013 of 78 days and 2 hours.
Once out there, it will be them and the ocean…
Vendee Globe 2016.
