THE 40 skippers had until this Friday to come and moor at the pontoon in front of the Place du Vendée Globe. As with each edition, the entire port of Les Sables d’Olonne has been transformed. Given the record number of boats, they are moored perpendicular to the pontoon. Major work has been carried out. The port was dug in depth to allow boats to enter without risk with their 4.50 meter keel.
As for the entertainment, there will be many. To make these three weeks a real popular celebration, and forget the previous edition “in covid mode”. “We’re finally there!” gets excited Yannick Moreau, the mayor of the town. “We’ve obviously been waiting for this Vendée Globe for four years, and even more. Since we were so frustrated in 2020, not being able to share the Vendée Globe with the public on site. We only had one week of village, covid spoiled the party.”
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“We were so frustrated in 2020 with Covid, not being able to share the party with the public.” Yannick Moreau the mayor of Sables d’Olonne.
“Because the Vendée Globerecalls the mayor on France Bleu Loire Océan, cIt is not simply a legendary race, it is not simply an extraordinary adventure, it is not simply a breath of pure air and a thirst for the open sea. It’s also a great popular festival in Les Sables d’Olonne that we like to share with all sailing lovers, with all those who dream of these boats and these skippers. And there, we will finally be able to do it. And that’s very good news.”
“The challenge is also to boost the Vendée economy.” Alain Leboeuf president of the Vendée departmental council
“We needed this great popular festival, of course, insists the president of the Vendée Globe and president of the Vendée departmental council Alain Leboeuf, so that the public can meet the skippers and these wonderful boats.” And to emphasize the challenge for Vendée with this tenth edition :”Everyone knows the Vendée through this major international event. The Vendée Globe is exported and the Vendée is known internationally. From now on, there is a real challenge in terms of tourist and economic benefits. This is the aim also to boost the Vendée economy.
During these three weeks, the skippers will have to respond to multiple requests while preserving moments of rest. “I don’t want to leave because I think it’s a pretty incredible time in this village. We have to take advantage, confides Fabrice Amedeo, it’s once every four years. There are also the last moments with the family.” “We have made sure that everything is technically ready, I have a lot of requests the first two weeks and the last, I will slowly settle into my bubble in sailor mode” says Vendée Benjamin Dutreux, There are so many schools and classes going full blast, I can’t wait to experience that.”
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