Vendée Globe: 6 Brave Yachtswomen Conquer the World

The Vendée Globe 2024 regatta has captured the attention of sailors around the world. For the first time since the COVID restrictions, athletes were able to take to the sea to the thunderous applause of fans. The number of participants in this regatta has broken previous records.

One of the interesting features of the Vendée Globe 2024 was the repetition of the 2021 record, when the regatta also included six female sailors. Either way, the presence of experienced athletes is a great indicator that such challenging single-handed regattas as the Vendée Globe are of interest not only to male skippers.

The article is adapted from the material "The six women taking on the world alone in this year's Vendée Globe" from the official IMOCA website.

Who are these six women who are ready to conquer the ocean?

Sam Davis, Initiatives-Cœur 4, UK

Sam Davis is a British yachtswoman who is attempting to conquer the Vendée Globe 2024 for the fourth time. She is one of the most experienced yachtswomen on the planet. The most striking achievements of recent years:

• third place in Transat CIC,
• sixth place New York Vendée-Les Sables d'Olonne.

Yacht analysts believe that Sam is currently at the peak of her form and has a real chance to climb high in the tournament table. In the Vendée Globe 2008-2009, she took fourth place. In the two subsequent regattas of the Vendée Globe series, the yachtswoman dropped out due to technical problems.

Justine Métraux, TeamWork-Team SNEF, Switzerland

"Meticulous and hard-working" is how Justine is described in official IMOCA publications. She represents a true sailing dynasty, with many generations of her family connected to the sea. Together with her brothers and sisters, Justine is involved in yachting at a professional level.

She won The Ocean Race with the renowned 11th Hour Racing Team in 2023. Her determination led her to participate in the Vendée Globe, although, according to her, she initially doubted that the regatta was within her capabilities. Nevertheless, analysts predict Justine will be among the top five sailors of the Vendée Globe.

Clarisse Kremer, L'Occitane En Provence, France

Clarisse holds the record for the fastest Vendée Globe by a woman. At the previous edition of the series, she sailed around the world in 87 days and finished in 10th place. Her skills and charisma have made her one of France's top yachting stars.

Before competing in the Vendée Globe, Kremer had established herself as an outstanding racer in the Mini 6.50 class, as well as in other prestigious regattas. Her approach combines professionalism with incredible determination. She is known for her ability to quickly adapt to difficult conditions and keep her cool even in critical situations.

Isabelle Jauschke, MACSF, French-German yachtswoman

Isabelle is also one of the most experienced sailors on the planet. She has an impressive career in the IMOCA class, which began in 2017. At the previous Vendée Globe, she was one of the strongest sailors, but her journey was cut short by a sudden keel failure. In 2021, she could probably finish in the top ten of the race.

Isabelle is known as a bright solo player who is able to fully reveal the potential of her yacht. Her ability to correctly distribute forces and set the optimal rhythm of the race is noted by many analysts. These qualities help her to be competitive both in short stages and in long-term strategic maneuvers.

Pip Hare, Medallia, UK

Pip's previous attempt at the Vendée Globe saw her finish 19th overall. This did not stop the Briton and she took part in the 2024 Vendée Globe again. Unfortunately, this time Pip was unable to reach the finish line under her own power.

About 800 nautical miles off the Australian coast, Pip was caught in a storm that sent the yacht high into the air. The violent splashdown caused Medallia to break its mast. She told fans: “It all feels pretty painful now. I’m so gutted. It’s been four years of preparation and planning, four years of development. Both myself and the boat were in great shape, had a really good race, and we were about halfway there. So to come ashore now is really brutal.”

As in many other cases, nature and weather conditions were an obstacle for the sailors in the Vendée Globe. We look forward to Pip Hare's return for the next regatta in the series and wish her good luck!

Violette Dorange, Devenir, France

The youngest yachtswoman to ever take part in the Vendée Globe regatta, both among women and men. Despite her young age (the girl is 23 years old), Violette already has extensive experience in yachting, as well as an impressive list of completed regattas.

In the absence of the necessary funding, Violette worked hard to get sponsors to pay attention to her. Dorange is also a protégé of another legendary sailor - Jean Le Cam. The girl conquers the Vendée Globe 2024 on the boat of the outstanding sailor Michel Desjoyeaux, who won the regatta in 2008. Le Cam himself also sailed on this yacht and took an honorable 4th place in 2021. 

Violette Dorange is a rising star of yachting who, if all goes well, will become one of the most successful yachtswomen in history. We watch the girl's sporting and creative path with interest and inspiration.

New video on the Interparus channel!

New yacht equipment straight from METSTRADE 2024! We have prepared a large list of interesting equipment of various sizes and for various purposes. Enjoy watching❤️

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26.12.2024