Material and moral shock for Sam Davies
On December 2, 2020, Sam Davies violently hit a UFO, causing great damage to the keel of his IMOCA Heart Initiatives. The sailor, very shocked by the violence of the impact and injured to her ribs, had decided to head for Cape Town, South Africa to take shelter and assess the damage.
Repair and leave
Faced with the scale of the work to be carried out, it was in consultation with her team that she took the decision to reach the South African port, confirming her withdrawal from the race. But more than the competition, Sam's objective is to save children thanks to her collaboration with the association Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. Indeed, for each "I love" or "Share" on social networks, his sponsors commit to donate 1 euro to the association.
Although Sam has already been able to save 30 children, she has not forgotten her original goal of 60 children. And the support received from all her fans and sponsors has encouraged her to continue.
A big project for the IMOCA Heart Initiatives
It was therefore quite natural that she decided to set off again to complete her round-the-world tour outside the race. Initiatives-C?ur was pulled out of the water to undergo a major work camp. The cracks were sealed, the structure was ultrasonically inspected, the structural bulkheads broken, dismantled and changed, the mechanical parts of the keel repaired, as well as the connecting bearings.
Her boat will be relaunched on Sunday and the sailor is studying her future departure with her team. The sailor, who "thought she was going to die" when she was shocked, wants to get back into the water slowly. She should therefore first sail with her team.
A decision in consultation with the race organisation
This decision to start again out of the race has also been validated with the race organisation. Indeed, the sailor will benefit from the support and monitoring of the Vendée Globe to continue her round the world voyage. She could even be included in the charts so that her progress can be monitored.
