The 38-year-old Swiss woman achieved an extraordinary performance by completing her world tour in just over 76 days.
At 38, Swiss Justine Mettraux became the fastest woman in the history of the Vendée Globe on Saturday by finishing eighth, just behind Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable) and Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB). The skipper of Teamwork – Team Snef arrived in Les Sables-d'Olonne at 1:38 p.m. after 76 days 1 hour and 36 minutes at sea under gray skies and in rough seas, succeeding the Frenchwoman Clarisse Crémer (87 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes in 2020/2021).
The sailor, born in Geneva and who took her first sails at a very young age on Lake Geneva thanks to the family boat, finished more than ten days after the winner Charlie Dalin, but she impressed the entire fleet thanks to her exemplary tenacity. “She had a simply magnificent race”greeted on Friday the experienced Jérémie Beyou (Charal), 4th, who handed him the helm of his old boat, an older generation foiling monohull, launched in 2018.
Despite this technological deficit – all the boats ahead of her were launched at least three years later -, «Juju la machine»one of only six women entered in this 10th edition, played at the forefront for two and a half months. She was to go up the channel in the afternoon in front of thousands of people gathered in Les Sables-d'Olonne. Upon his arrival, Catherine Chabaud, the first woman to complete a solo, non-stop, round-the-world sailing trip, was waiting for him, as was the famous sailor Isabelle Autissier.
-The best ranking ever achieved by a woman in the Vendée Globe is the 2nd place of the British Ellen MacArthur, at only 24 years old in 2000/2001 (94 days, 4 hours and 25 minutes). Justine Mettraux is the fourth woman to rank in the top 10 after Catherine Chabaud, MacArthur and Samantha Davies, expected this week in Les Sables-d'Olonne. The 10th edition of the solo, non-stop and unassisted round-the-world race was won by Charlie Dalin on January 14, in 64 days 19 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds, a new record.
