a human tide to say goodbye to the sailors

They arrived by electric bike around 4:30 a.m., at a time when the streets of Sables-d'Olonne had not yet been taken over by the public or closed to traffic. An old Scottish blanket on the ground to mark out their little territory, a large thermos for hot tea, a Vendée brioche and a whole bunch of chouquettes in a paper bag soaked in oil to help them face the morning. Marie-Caroline and Jacques, Vendée Globe subscribers, are making their sixth start.

Over the years, they have refined their organization to find the best location on the quays of La Chaume, along the channel where sailors parade in a furious atmosphere and a dizzying hubbub. « Each edition, we come a little earlier, these are the best places, where there is the best atmosphere »slips the former semaphorist of the national navy wrapped up in his pea coat. A few meters from him, the party is also getting ready. A father desperately tries to patch up a foghorn at the end of its life. « That's the kids, they broke the tip. Well too bad, we'll yell ! »he says fatalistically in front of the crestfallen faces of the three toddlers.

The big crowd

Daylight hasn't yet dawned, but the best locations have already been taken by storm. Small clusters of supporters take care of raising the mood at croissant time. Among the banners « Make us dream » or « Good luck »each has a designated favorite: Jean Le Cam (It all starts in Finistère – Armor Lux), often, Violette Dorange (Become), the youngest (23 years old) in publishing sometimes too. A group of three Guingampais mounted on stools, wearing tricolor roosters and armed with a vuvuzela, a South African horn with a deafening noise, entertain the gallery. « The hats are for Monique, Guirec Soudée's chicken ! »they explain, in reference to the famous red gallinaceae which accompanied the Breton during his sailing trip around the world between 2013 and 2014.

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It's not yet 7 o'clock and the noisy platforms are full of people. Latecomers begin to turn towards the Remblai, this long promenade bordering the Sables-d'Olonne beach. The atmosphere is not as festive, but with a good pair of binoculars, you can also enjoy the show once the boats have left the channel while waiting for the gunshot scheduled for 1:02 p.m.

Four years after a sad departure in the middle of the Covid crisis and confinement, the large crowd once again besieged the Vendée city. How many were there this Sunday when the mark of one million visitors to the village was to be exceeded this weekend? The organizers were hoping for 400,000 people, including the public at sea (between 7,000 and 12,000 spectators spread over just under 1,000 boats, according to various estimates). The speedboats offering excursions to follow the departure were full, despite high prices: sometimes up to 300 euros. At this price, lunch is included before returning to dry land in the middle of the afternoon.

Maelstrom of emotions

But at sea, it was a bit of a cold shower for these privileged people. Because although the sun managed to break through the clouds, the very weak wind (4 knots) pinned all the boats to the spot at the start, penalizing the Imoca with foils more than those with straight daggerboards. « It will at least be a little relief not to get smashed at sea tonight »rejoiced Samantha Davies (Heart Initiatives) on the pontoon, happy to avoid a beating from the start in this solo, unassisted and non-stop round-the-world trip.

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To see the show, you had to be early in the morning on the pontoon at Port Olona, ​​a real maelstrom of emotions. Charlie Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance), second four years ago and one of the big favorites for victory, opened the ball with the fittings timed to the nearest second at 8:00 a.m. sharp. « Leave first ? It suits me, it's great, it's exactly what I needed »slipped Le Havrais, in a hurry to leave and waited by Thomas Coville at the foot of his boat. « You have the best story »slips him the navigator who has traveled nine times around the world (single-handed or with a crew) after having left him to isolate himself with his partner and his son. « See you here, in January, not before »says the Norman, moving away, fist clenched. Opposite, Yannick Bestaven admits to having « slept poorly » like many competitors. After taking the time to kiss the trophy installed at the entrance to the pontoon, the defending champion hugged his wife and two daughters for a long time. Loïse and Mona manage to hold on, but break down with tears when they see their dad get on Master CoQ.

« As much as yesterday I was impatient to leave, I would stay there for a few more days or even a few weeks before going there »confides Jérémie Beyou (Charal), now five participations in the Vendée Globe, but with a heavy heart before cradling her little Romane, only 3 months old. The farewells were also difficult for Violette Dorange, the youngest member of the edition, overwhelmed by emotion even before reaching her pontoon where her parents, her brother and her sister were waiting for her. « Just seeing the other competitors in the channel does something to me »she whispers after drying her red eyes. « It's crazy and magical »she repeats softly, stars in her eyes.

Guaranteed success

On the contrary, there was euphoria in the air and even a lot of carelessness in front of Guirec Soudée's boat (Freelance.com) after the visit of the Minister of the Interior and Vendéen Bruno Retailleau came to say a word to the majority of sailors. « It's the happiest day of my life. I am super calm. You have before you a happy man, who will find his element again. I have sea water running through my veins and it's not stupid to say that. It's just happiness… I was told that there were 400,000 people in the channel ! »proclaims the rookie.

A little later, Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur-Duo For a Job) relieves the pressure by launching into a wild dance on the deck of his Imoca, a portable speaker slipped into his spitting suit Say It Ain’t So Joe by Murray Head. An unusual image, like that of Damien Seguin's disguise (Apicil Group) skipper born without hands, slipped into a Captain Hook costume. The Japanese Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One) had opted for samurai clothing, and Jingkun Xu (Jingkun Xu) for a sparkling traditional Chinese outfit. Guaranteed success in the channel. Not enough to compete, despite everything, with the incomparable popularity of Jean Le Cam, also extinguished on the pontoon before casting off (he had described the pre-race and the media requests as « stations of the cross ») that showman transformed in his element, the sea. A “King John” born to raise the decibels a little more in a conquered channel and reserving a triumphant goodbye.