At 23, Violette Dorange, youngest in the Vendée Globe, is preparing “for the unknown”

Monday 28th October 2024 11:40 PM

The oldest remember Ellen MacArthur, only 24 years old and second in the Vendée Globe in 2001 behind Michel Desjoyeaux. The charentaise Violette Orange she only has 23 ans and is in turn the youngest girl to sail around the world alone. After crossing the Channel in an Optimist at the age of 15, solidly trained by the dean Jean Le Cam, she inherited her old boat. His objective on an older generation daggerboard sailboat, which has proven itself, is to return to Les Sables d'Olonne.

“When I'm at sea, I feel good on the boat. I know him well enough to feel comfortable and I don't think about my ageconfides the young woman, honestly, I always had this dream of doing the Vendée Globe one day, but I think I never really imagined myself here.” Violette Dorange has three Solitaires du Figaro to her credit and eight transatlantic races. And his drift boat launched in 2007 has traveled around the world five times, under the name of Foncia skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux, victorious in 2008 then in 2016 and 2020 with Jean Le Cam at the bar. “It’s“I'm incredibly lucky to have this boat because it's fast, reliable, easy to handle and I feel great on it.”.

“It’s unknown for me to leave for three months”

“Completing the Vendée Globe would be a great victory“also says Violette Dorange, student at Insa in Rennes, aware of the difficulties that await her:”It's unknown for me to leave for three months. I have sailed a lot since I was little, but I have never been to the southern hemisphere. There will be the unknown of crossing the equator, the unknown of entering the southern seas, Cape Horn etc….”

Supported by DeVenir, a project led by a collective of MacDonald's franchisees and the Apprentis d'Auteuil foundation, Violette Dorange is still looking for a hundred thousand euros to complete her budget. And hopes to have fruitful meetings on the pontoon between now and November 10. Since the start of the Vendée Globe, only 114 skippers have completed the loop, including ten women. Violette Dorange hopes to extend the list.

France