Engaged in the Vendée Globe, they impress, always in ambush, the women don't give up

There are six of them engaged on a solo, non-stop round-the-world trip. After 12 days of racing, they remain on pace. The skippers have entered the intertropical doldrums zone in force, they are now heading towards the Cape of Good Hope.

This is the one that impresses the most so far, the one that no one expected. The surprise guest. Justine Mettraux makes an impressive start to the race. Constant, the Swiss sailor traces the route and eats up the miles with regularity. 9th on this 12th day of racing.

Always placed in the leading pack from the start, Justine, the skipper of TeamWork – Team Snef, perfectly mastered her entry into this Vendée Globe.

On a new foiled Imoca, Sam Davies, who entered the leading trio attacking the doldrums, is now 11th. “I've been looking at the route towards the South Atlantic for several days now. For the moment, it seems like a pretty cool scenario because the anticyclone is quite east,” describes the navigator.

There will be a depression coming out of Brazil and going down towards the Cape of Good Hope. If we're lucky enough to snag it, we'll be catapulted to South Africa. This would make it possible to cut the road and cross quickly

Samantha Davies

Skipper (Initiatives-Coeur)

She looks straight ahead, but behind, Clarisse Crémer is in ambush. In 2020, she sailed her first solo world tour. After 87 days at sea, she became the fastest woman in the history of the Vendée Globe.

“I would like to push the mushroom a little more, to be more confident”declared the record woman of the event before the start. In this game, she lost her main sail which unfolded unexpectedly. A disadvantage for light weather episodes. The sailor remained focused and enjoyed a nice comeback, well placed in the tumultuous intertropical zone.

“I was quite happy with my race, quite proud of my maneuvers and my trajectories, even if some were mainly guided by caution. Without this sail, the next few days downwind in light airs are not going to be very fun. I lost a lot of energy, but the race is still long!”

The one who describes the Vendée Globe “as a very addictive drug”, East followed by the British Pipe Hare who came back strong.

In this tenth edition, women are at the forefront.

Franco-German Isabelle Joschke is in 20th position and admits that she has not slept a wink lately.

I didn't make much progress last night. There were grains in every direction. You had to be on deck

Isabelle Joschke

Skipper (MACSF)

“My start to the race wasn't great. I was a little out of sync with everything, I maneuvered a lot and each time, I was off the mark. I wasn't in phase with the wind, with myself… I wanted to act too quickly, without taking the time to think, and that never works! I was very lucky!”

Smiling and crying as she left the channel, Violette Dorange quickly returned to the harsh reality of the race. The youngest quickly shook. The young skipper spent the first night curled up, tossed by 6 meter waves.

Great action for his first miles in the Vendée Globe. At only 23 years old and with an already incredible career for her age, she commands admiration.

A determined, eager kid, who has always been sailing and has taken all the steps to get her place on the starting line. The Charentaise has a nice CV: crossing the Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar in Optimist, Mini Transat and participation in three editions of the Solitaire du Figaro where she finished in 10th^e place in 2022. A result which reinforces her desire to go even further.

“I heard from my networks which are on fire, we have doubled or tripled the communities, it’s so cool! It’s a lot of support for our project”, enthuses the skipper.

It's just happiness. I want to say thank you to everyone who sends messages, it gives me a lot of strength when I'm at sea!

Violette Orange

Skipper (Becoming)

Realistically, she doesn't see herself on the podium. Like those who embark on the most illustrious of competitions, she dreams above all of completing the prestigious loop. Go around the world, cover 45,000 miles, resist, return to Les Sables and nothing else. “To end. And be as happy as possible at sea. But I think that if the first is fulfilled, the second will inevitably follow.”

His fears? Breakage first. “And obviously the South Seas, like everyone else. The duration too, but in the end it scares me less and less. And then above all the repairs. Will I be able to DIY? This is really what I had to work on a lot! My team prepared a lot of workshops for me. For example tomorrow, I have one more to learn how to change an engine alternator. The problem is that I'm always short of time, but I try to get my hands on it as much as possible.”

She sails in 22^e position for the moment, 366 miles from the leader, on board an Imoca without foil almost 20 years old, driven in its time by Jean Le Cam. Far in the rankings, this little woman is the public's favorite. With 356,000 followers on Instagram, she has already captured hearts.

Find us on our social networks and on france.tv