A particularly emotional moment after the last hugs to family, friends and certain members of the team who had not taken a place in the zodiacs which accompanied the skippers until the departure at around 1:02 p.m. The last opportunity to share the intense emotion of these men who undoubtedly came from elsewhere. A controlled emotion for some experienced, on the pontoons but also along the channel and offshore with the teams.
The last great adventure of the modern world
To greet these heroes, the crowds were present en masse on the pontoons and quays of La Chaume from 3 a.m.! On the pontoons, the faces of the skippers were tense for some and the emotion was palpable on each face, especially for those who were taking part in their first Vendée Globe, including Denis Van Weynbergh, one of the rookies in the race. The goodbyes preceded a little less than three solo seas! Even the seasoned sailors who were at the dock to comment on the race were not insensitive, as some veterans point out: “It’s funny because with the first boat leaving, we, behind our screens without being on the pontoons, have chills. These are completely exceptional moments.”
Throughout the descent of the channel, the atmosphere was great with the shouts and applause of the crowd, but also horns and sirens! The sailors, standing on the front deck of their boat, greeted the public and took advantage of a little rush of emotion to get drunk on these positive moments before switching to warrior mode after the happy bazaar on the water before the signal to the flight around the globe. A vibrant and intense moment for these 40 sailors, treated as heroes by the entire public who came en masse to encourage them during this last great adventure of the modern world, which resonates every four years in the hearts of all lovers of infinite spaces and challenges overcome like a window opening onto our dreams of conquest…
