maintenance and security agents, these invisible heroes who are active from 5 a.m. in the village

Hundreds of thousands of visitors have passed through the gates of the Vendée Globe village since the opening on October 19. But who are the shadow workers? Those little hands working before the opening, in the middle of the night, to make the party a success? We went to meet them.

Five o'clock in the morning. The night has placed its black cloak over the Vendée Globe village. Inside, the songs and shouts of the last revelers have disappeared for several hours. To give way to silence. Or almost. In the distance, the partners' marquees are lit and the sound of vacuum cleaners can be heard.

Since 4:45 a.m., Sophie and her colleagues, maintenance workers, have embarked on a real time trial. Two marquees to vacuum and clean, before 8:30 a.m. and the arrival of the first exhibitors. ” Today is a rush, she explains. Usually, we have the big machine to make the aisles. But we don't have it this morning. So, we're racing. On court.”

With her gaze fixed on the ground, she doesn't have much time to chat with us. Each of them has its own sector to clean up. “There are three of us and we are always assigned here, describes Sophie. It's true that after a while, we know what we have to do. The job is always the same. THE principle is that it be clean.“

I already had thoughts and thanks

Sophie Juarez

Maintenance agent on the Vendée Globe

Even though the work is difficult, she still keeps a smile. Satisfied with a job well done when the exhibitors and the public arrive. “CIt's teamwork, above all, she adds. OI'm happy that people are delighted.”

Like Sophie, every day, around twenty maintenance workers take turns between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Objective: that the village is clean, when the public arrives, but also throughout the day. Changing trash bags, cleaning public and private areas, toilets, etc.

Tasks entrusted by the organization of the Vendée Globe to the company “Nil” (Industrial Cleaning of the Coast). Based in Vendée, this company, run by the Houssaint family for nearly 50 years, has supervised the maintenance of 8 of the 10 editions of the Vendée Globe.

Even if we are invisible on the Vendée Globe, visibility means cleanliness on the site itself

Mickaël Vukelich

Maintenance agent on the Vendée Globe

“It’s an international event, describes Mickaël Vukelich, versatile agent for the Sable company. It’s a showcase for the Vendée department, and for us too.”

He too is one of the little hands, who are active at night in the shadows. Cédric Sixta is a security officer and manager of the night shifts. Every evening, at closing, he stays with his colleagues and watches over the Vendée Globe village. Their role: to ensure that the security of the site is preserved 24 hours a day.

For this, as with maintenance agents, everyone has a well-defined role. “On a site as large as that, there are meetings that take place with our management, the Vendée Globe management and everything that goes with it, he describes. They allow us to implement a strategy together with a defined number of agents, which means that we can, day and night, protect the site as best as possible.”

His role: to coordinate the teams on site, as well as rounds. On the empty pontoon, only the sound of the wind, on the Imoca masts, accompanies the rhythm of his steps. “JI think that for me, it is more important to be there in the middle of the night for example than in broad daylight, confides Cédric, this is his first Vendée Globe. It's magical, it's a really good time, it's a beautiful event and to have the privilege of doing that, I think it's extraordinary.“

A ballet of employees, with a precise score. A clever mix, which allows the party to be more beautiful when the Vendée Globe village opens.

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