Clarisse Crémer denounces misogyny in sailing
Clarisse Crémer was supposed to participate in the 2024 Vendée Globe on Banque Populaire 12, Charlie Dalin's former Apivia, which she took over the helm after the 2022 Route du Rhum. But the young woman has just announced on her Facebook page that her sponsor Banque Populaire has "decided to leave it at the dock "âeuros¦
As a reminder, when she was pregnant, she left her place to Nicolas Lunven for the Bermuda 1000 Race and then the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables-d'Olonne 2022. In December 2022, she got back her new boat in order to train for the next two years and to qualify for the solo round the world race. Unfortunately this will not be the case, as she writes:
"The rules of the Vendée Globe for the 2024 edition impose on all skippers a competition based on the number of miles sailed in the race. On this criterion, I have of course fallen behind the other competitors at the start, this maternity having prevented me from being present in the qualifying races for a year. Today Banque Populaire decided that this represented a "risk" for them that they did not want to run. I am shocked, other projects launched much more recently continue without a hitch. There were two full seasons and four transatlantic races left to get back to the level, I was all in to finish my rehabilitation as soon as possible."
Reminder of the qualification rules for the 2024 Vendée Globe
As a reminder, in order to qualify, skippers must finish and place in two of the following races on the boat they will be sailing around the world:
- Vendée Arctique les Sables-d'Olonne, June 12, 2022
- Route du Rhum âeuros Destination Guadeloupe 2022
- Return race of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023
- The Transat CIC 2024
- New-York âeuros Vendée - Les Sables 2024
- Or any other single-handed ocean race of the Globe Series Championship integrated by amendment to this AC.
If more than 39 skippers meet the entry requirements, they will be separated by the number of miles sailed in the Globe Series Championship races. Exception to the rule, the additional skipper chosen by the organization through a wild card and the first 13 new boats to start a qualifying race will be excluded from this selection. And it is this additional qualification - which is therefore not guaranteed - that poses a problem for the Banque Populaire team.
Too many risks for Banque Populaire
If the young woman denounces an inequality of opportunity for women, and particularly mothers in the world of sailing, her sponsor replied by way of a press release that the risk of not seeing her skipper on the starting line was too great:
"In October 2021, the organizer of the round the world race announced a new qualification method that would no longer allow finishers to qualify directly for the next edition. It introduced a system of accumulation of points to be acquired between the winter of 2021 and the summer of 2024 by participating in races of the Imoca circuit for the attribution of the 40 places of the event (including a wildcard).
To comply with this new regulation, Team Banque Populaire has rented a boat in order to participate in the races of the 2022 season and to give itself all the chances with Clarisse to score the necessary points while waiting for the delivery of the Banque Populaire XII monohull in December 2022 (ex-Apivia).
Having been unable to participate in these races due to fortunate maternity reasons, Clarisse is now in a situation that does not allow her to hope to obtain the number of points necessary to qualify for the 2024 Vendée Globe." He also applied for a Wild Card award, but all their proposals were rejected.
Who will take the helm?
In view of the human and financial resources invested by the sponsor, it has decided to maintain its commitment to sailing and will appoint a new skipper in the coming days. If the system of accumulation of points justified by Banque Populaire to put an end to its partnership is real, it will have to find a skipper who has raced in the qualifying races of 2022âeuros¦ Starting from this premise, several names are possible. For example, could we find Nicolas Lunven at the helm of Banque Populaire 12, who recently raced under the teamâ??s colors? Answer in a few days.
While the affair and the societal issue it raises are shaking the sailing world and beyond, the sponsor will have a lot to do to make people forget this unfortunate communication episode. Hopefully, the skipper will be back on the water soon.
