There are 29 competitors who have taken the start of this 8th edition of the Vendée Globe. From 8:50 am and every 4 minutes, a skipper left the pontoon of the race village to reach the open sea. This was an opportunity to share the intense emotion of the skippers âeuros mastered for some expressed âeuros on the pontoons, but also throughout the descent of the channel.
Didac Costa âeuros, who had to return to Les Sables-d'Olonne due to a leak and an electrical problem on board his IMOCA One planet One ocean âeuros was the first of the 29 solo sailors to leave his place at the pontoon for the start. The Spanish competitor left his place at 8:50 am, under the encouragement of his family and his team.
Vincent Riou (PRB) was supposed to finish the race, leaving port at 10:42, but in the end it was Sébastien Josse who took his place. The skipper of Edmond de Rotschild, who was due to leave in 6th position at 9:10 am, encountered an engine problem and therefore waited until the last minute to leave Port Olona.
To greet these heroes, the crowd was present in mass on the pontoons and the docks of the stubble. And this, from 3 am! On the pontoons, the skippers' faces were tense for some and the emotion was palpable. It must be said that out of the 29 competitors, 14 were starting for the first time. And the farewells on the pontoons preceded 2 1/2 months of solo sailing!
And it was not only on the pontoons that the emotion was palpable, but also behind the screen, as Pascal Bidégorry, commentator for the Vendée Globe, rightly explained at the start of the race. "It's funny because with this first boat leaving, and yet behind our screen because we're not even on the pontoons, I still get a few shivers. These are completely exceptional moments. [...] These are great moments."
For all that, the difficulty remains not to be "not eat the emotion of the channel, because you leave your relatives and friends" as one of the commentators explained. Before adding that he had rarely seen a Vendée Globe start so full of color, images and emotions...
Sailors particularly moved
We will remember the emotion of Paul Meilhat (SMA), rookie and young ocean racer, whose tears were visible in his eyes. But also that of Yann Eliès âeuros who evoked the tears of his youngest daughter of 5 years and the ball in the stomach with which he left.
Alan Roura (La Fabrique) âeuros youngest competitor in the 2016 Vendée Globe âeuros could not hold back his tears from the start of his pontoon to his descent into the channel. "It was the dream of my life, I am too happy. I am living the most important day of my life. I am crying, but they are tears of happiness, now we have to go, we have to go..."
As far as tears are concerned, Morgan Lagravière was particularly moved and had difficulty controlling his emotions all along the channel. "It's not an obvious moment, positive, but it brings me a lot of tears this morning. It's a special moment. I think it's a way to manage the transition as well as possible, quite quickly. To cut with the men's environment. Now I'm looking forward to the moment of the competition, the start, to be focused on something other than emotions. It's hard to combine that with the sport. Can't wait for the minutes to pass!"
Kojiro Shiraishi, the first Japanese competitor in the history of the Vendée Globe, also greeted the crowd with solemnity, dressed in a black kimono. For the Irishman, the start was festive, but just as full of emotion with a small concert of local instruments.
Others are more seasoned in the exercise as Alex Thomson, who made the show all dressed in black as his IMOCA Hugo Boss, or Armel le Cléac'h, who left for his 3rd round the world with the ambition to win!
"It's going to be crazy in a few moments on this start. The conditions are nice, so we're a little less tight in the stomach. The race is starting and everyone is equal. Tonight, we're not going to have to hang around and get into the game right away. I don't think we'll get much sleep..." said Armel.
Even if emotion is not only a question of experience, as Pascal Bidégorry explained "We're going to see old people who are moved too..." This is also the case with Jean-Pierre Dick, of whom Pascal Bidégorry explained "Darrin he has a big ball in his stomach. It's certainly not the same emotion, but it's there!"
Throughout the descent of the channel, the atmosphere was there with the shouts and applause of the crowd, but also horns and sirens! The sailors, standing on the front deck of their boat, greeted the public and enjoyed a "a little shot of emotion to take all the positive before going into warrior mode" as Thomas Ruyant explained (Le Souffle Du Nord âeuros Boulogne Billancourt) particularly moved. A vibrant and intense moment for these 29 sailors, treated as heroes by the entire public who came en masse to encourage them!
