 
  
|
Vendée Globe Fleet Announced
Philippe de Villiers, President of the Vendée Council and organizer of the
Vendée Globe presented the line-up for the 2008-2009 edition of the race at a
conference in La Roche sur Yon in Western France on July 2 and all the most
famous and familiar single-handed sailing names and their equally famous boats
will again grace the start line including two previous winners, Michel
Desjoyeaux (2000-2001) and Vincent Riou (2004-2005).
The thirty places planned in the notice of race have now been filled and there
will indeed be thirty candidates lining up on 9 November for the start in Les
Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coast. An exceptional line-up, an
unprecedented competitive level, this edition of the race deserves all the
superlatives. It is now certain that the 2008 Vendée Globe will be sold out.
2008 Vendée Globe packed with records
With thirty participants at the start, the Vendée Globe has never been so
popular, especially when remembering that 13 sailors took part in 1989, 14 in
1992, 16 in 1996, 24 in 2000 and 20 in 2004.
There will be twenty eight men and two women; Dee Caffari and Samantha Davies,
seven nationalities - another record for the race. Although the French
contingent dominates with 17 skippers, there will be six British entrants and
two from Switzerland. Canada, the United States, Spain and Austria are each
represented by one skipper.
Twenty new boats, or in other words two thirds of the fleet, have been specially
built for this race, while the other ten from the 2004 generation have been
completely refitted.
Never has a fleet of solo yachtsmen brought together so much experience in one
race: all together, the skippers, taking part in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe have
completed 32 circumnavigations and 21 Vendée Globe races, which represents a
total of 1.5 million miles raced around the world's oceans.
Added to that is the participation of two previous winners, Michel Desjoyeaux
(2000-2001) and Vincent Riou (2004-2005), making for a record-breaking champion
line-up at the start in Les Sables d'Olonne.
It goes without saying that on the 9th of November, as they leave the pontoons
and make their way through the harbour channel in Les Sables d'Olonne, none of
the participants in this 2008 edition will be able to forecast where they will
finish in the rankings three months later.
An exceptional level of preparation
For the moment, 26 of the competitors have completed their registration and only
four have not yet fulfilled all the requirements. Jonny Malbon is still waiting
for his new mast and is due to qualify in August.
Steve White is busy working on the administrative details to complete the forms.
Vincent Riou, victim of a collision in June during the Artemis Transat, has to
replace the keel on his PRB, currently in Halifax in Canada. He will be
officially registered in August, once he returns to Europe. Finally, Norbert
Sedlacek has to check that his boat, having participated in 2004, satisfies the
2008 safety requirements.
Never in the history of the Vendée Globe have the competitors been ready so
early. The level of preparation is vital, considering the almighty battle that
will be taking place between the contenders in this 2008 edition.
Behind the scenes, everyone has one question on their mind: where should they
place the cursor on the scale between an all-out attack and the desire to
preserve the equipment in order to complete the adventure. Indeed, the rules
have not changed: the Vendée Globe remains the non-stop single-handed round the
world voyage without assistance, making it quite simply the toughest of sailing
races.
Skippers make the difference
Each team has its own particular method of preparation: a small team, common
training sessions with several boats, fine-tuning a boat from the 2004
generation, the launch of a new boat designed by a famous architect, weight
reductions, the quest for power, work on sails, masts or keels.
It has been important over the past three years to test and adapt the machines.
The most recent races have shown that even what has been imagined by the
designers and the wide range of approaches to the initial design and
preparation, the boats remain very close in terms of performance.
The sailors will make the difference, the winner of the 2008 Vendée Globe having
achieved an exceptional performance.
It is difficult to predict whether the winner will be an experienced Vendée
Globe yachtsman like Mike Golding, Alex Thomson, Roland Jourdain, Dominique
Wavre or Marc Thiercelin (taking part for the fifth time), a former winner
dreaming of a second victory, like Michel Desjoyeaux or Vincent Riou, or one of
the newcomers to the race like Sam Davies, Yann Eliès, Kito de Pavant or Armel
le Cléach.
This edition is clearly an international affair and the competition is certainly
strong from Britain with sailors like Mike Golding, Alex Thomson, Brian Thompson
and Jonny Malbon, while the Swiss yachtsmen, Dominique Wavre and Bernard Stamm
are also dreaming of reaching the harbour back in Les Sables d'Olonne in first
place.
There are the two North Americans, Derek Hatfield the first Canadian sailor to
take part in the race and the Harvard graduate, Rich Wilson. Finally, because of
the domination of the 2007-2008 racing season natural favorites have been made
such as Michel Desjoyeaux, Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron.
Vendée Region on a pedestal
This area of France will be represented by four boats sporting the colours of
companies from France's West coast: PRB, after their previous successes in
2000-2001 and 2004-2005 will be entrusting their boat once again to Vincent
Riou; VM Matériaux which is counting on the talent of Jean Le Cam; Akena
Vérandas that is relying on Arnaud Boissières; and the Ocean Vital Foundation,
which is supporting Raphaël Dinelli.
Vendée Globe makes presence felt in Les Sables d'Olonne region
On 12 July, the towns of Les Sables d'Olonne, Olonne sur Mer and Le Château
d'Olonne are being decked out in the colours of the Vendée Globe to remind
holidaymakers that they are at the port where the Vendée Globe race will start
on the 9th of November.
The roundabouts will be decorated, the shop will windows be covered in more than
2.3 km of tape and 8000 T-shirts will be handed out to shopkeepers. Finally, in
collaboration with the Association of retailers from the town of Les Sables
d'Olonne, the Vendée Globe is organizing a major summer competition around the
theme of the Vendée Globe.
An exceptional line-up, ever growing popular support, new and improved
promotional features for the race, but with the same tested and approved basic
ingredients; the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe is destined to be the top event on the
sailing calendar at the end of the year.
List of entrants:
JOURDAIN Roland France Veolia Environnement
BEYOU Jérémie France Delta Dore
DICK Jean-Pierre France Paprec-Virbac
Le CAM Jean France VM Materiaux
DAVIES Samantha Great Britain Roxy
ELIES Yann France Generali
DE PAVANT Kito France Groupe Bel
BOISSIERES Arnaud France Akena
GUILLEMOT Marc France Safran
DESJOYEAUX Michel France Foncia
PEYRON Loïck France Gitana Eighty
WILSON Rich USA To be announced
STAMM Bernard Switzerland Cheminees Poujoulat
WAVRE Dominique Switzerland Temenos
HATFIELD Derek Canada Spirit of Canada
GOLDING Mike Great Britain Ecover
DEJEANTY Jean Baptiste France Maisonneuve
BESTAVEN Yannick France Cervin Enr
DINELLI Raphaël France Foundation Ocean Vital
BASURKO Unai Spain Pakea Bizkaia
LE CLEACH Armel France Brit Air
THOMSON Alex Great Britain Hugo Boss
JOSSE Sébastien France BT
CAFFARI Dee Great Britain Aviva
THIERCELIN Marc France DCNS
THOMPSON Brian Great Britain Pindar
MALBON Jonny Great Britain Artemis
RIOU Vincent France PRB
SEDLACEK Norbert Austria Nauticsport Kapsch
WHITE Steve Great Britain To be announced
Further information:
www.vendeeglobe.org.en
|
 |
