There is decompression, finally, after hours of extreme tension hoping not to ruin everything and more than two months of sailing on the ropes. There is immense joy in going up this Sables-d'Olonne channel first, for the second time after 2021, but for once as an undisputed winner. There is this satisfaction of having succeeded in one's bet, of triumphing at the end of this four-year conquering campaign, as it was planned, as it was wanted, over a test which nevertheless has a thousand and one possibilities of realizing one's dreams. engulfed.
Charlie Dalin puts his name on the list of the most prestigious offshore races on Imoca monohulls (18.28 m), and not with a trembling hand, the skipper of Macif Santé Prévoyance at the same time exploding the record for the crazy circumnavigation: 64 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes, almost ten days better than the time achieved during the 2016-2017 edition by Armel Le Cléac'h on Banque Populaire VIII (74 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes). Is the performance as astonishing as it looks?
A shattered record
“Oh firecracker!” There will be twenty years unless we put reactors on the IMOCAs! “, exclaimed the oldest of the race, Jean Le Cam (65), even before the finish, still off the coast of Brazil. For Armel Le Cléac'h, the record is not a huge surprise, however, because of the technological evolution of boats, and in particular of foils, these lateral appendages which allow them to “fly” in certain conditions. “The foils no longer have anything to do with those we had in 2016”, underlines the current skipper of a maxi-trimaran, who will tackle the Jules-Verne trophy next winter (the crewed round-the-world trip in its category). “The leaders also benefited from very favorable weather at times, and above all they managed to maintain their speed in these conditions, which is not easy to do. »
Third expected this Thursday, January 16 in Les Sables-d'Olonne – and who without a break on his starboard foil would undoubtedly have played to the end with Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme – Sébastien Simon is not surprised to see either falling the 2016 mark. “It's great but it could still be improved, assures the sailor at the helm Dubreuil Group.If we had experienced a North Atlantic similar to that which Armel experienced eight years ago, we could have completed the deal in less than sixty days as our boats are today so successful and reliable. »
This reliability is what also delights Hubert Lemonnier, the Vendée Globe race director: “It's perfect for safety, with a very low abandonment rate – 6 out of 40 starters so far – which demonstrates that the boats were well prepared. And it's also excellent for performance, with Charlie's record but also the 24-hour distance record falling several times. This proves that the technological bets and the design of the boats are the right ones, and as a result everything is moving very quickly. »
The fight at all levels
The frontrunners have mastered their task perfectly, and the group of seven pursuers who have just crossed the equator are also capable of setting the 2016 record. Racing cars surfing the waves, while far behind, almost half of the fleet finds itself relegated to nearly 5,000 nautical miles. Obviously, the most recent foil boats and the biggest budgets assert their superiority. If the future belongs to them, isn't the adventure dimension of the race likely to suffer? What place, tomorrow, for those who manage to embark, but for a long journey, struggling with more than a month of additional navigation and arriving in Les Sables-d'Olonne when the foam of the event has largely dissolved?
“The excellence of the first does not relegate the rest to mediocrity, replies Hubert Lemonnier. The race remains exciting on different levels, because, and this is another satisfaction, the quality of the sailors is, this year, remarkable. » An enthusiasm shared by Antoine Mermod, the president of the Imoca class which brings together the skippers and defines the rules of their practices.
“The Vendée Globe must remain this mix of sporting challenge and adventure, and this diversity is embodied very well in this edition with great regattas at all levels of the game, observes the managing engineer. There are certainly gaps, but like in 2012 or 2016, and the quality of commitment of everyone is remarkable. There are fights on all levels. Everyone surpasses themselves, and can express themselves sportingly, while telling different stories. »
Tomorrow, “steal” completely?
The Imoca class owes this balance to the organization of qualifying races which allowed both men and machines to become more experienced. “This system partly mediates this debate on performance and adventure, analyzes Hubert Lemonnier. There will always be an element of adventure, because dealing with two or three months alone and the storms of the South Seas is never trivial. But the level required to qualify is increasingly higher, which defines a type of profile, perhaps less focused on pure adventure. »
Technological developments can also move the lines. For 2028, the Imoca class has however decided to change the technical rules very little. “The extraordinary challenge of spending so much time on the water already requires significant financial resources, and the class wanted to control inflation rather than launch a new arms race, explains Antoine Mermod. The boats – five or six new constructions have already been announced – will therefore always be semi-flying. They are now spectacular and reliable, and it does not seem wise for the moment to move up to the next level. »
The next notch? The ability to really fly by adding a third foil in the form of T-shaped rudders at the rear of the boats. The sailors of the class rejected this possibility (by 86 votes against 32, 11 skippers not commenting) in the fall of 2023. The question of the costs of such a development and that of safety are currently encouraging the measure. “Is this really relevant for an endurance race like the Vendée Globe? “, asks Hubert Lemonnier.
Sébastien Simon is, on the contrary, one of those sailors ready to push further: “Professionalization does not scare me, and an evolution would above all make more comfortable boats. I'm tired of hitting waves, being one hit above, one hit below. We could speed up further. And restrictive rules in my opinion end up costing more, by dint of adapting in small details, than starting a real revolution. » The debate should once again take to the pontoons for the 2032 Vendée Globe.
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