The 40 skippers of this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe set off on Sunday for the famous sailing race, solo and non-stop. A competition which for three weeks brought together sailing enthusiasts and the curious. Now, with the IMOCAs gone, it's time to tidy up.
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This Monday morning, in the Vendée Globe village, it's a completely different atmosphere. The cries and cheers of supporters and spectators give way to the noise of the teams of skippers, who are finishing packing up.
Those of technology are beginning to dismantle the village. Restaurants, marquees… everything should be gone by the end of the week. “Dsince this morning 9am, we've been on the bridge pto tidy up all the work tools a little, explains Thomas Piau, manager of the Vendée Globe bar. OHe aimed to finish on Wednesday evening. We have three good days of work and five semi-trailers ahead of us.”
The pontoons are empty, it's time for the Vendée Globe bar to fold up shop.
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© Damien Raveleau
If the 40 sailors have taken the start, sailing enthusiasts, as well as the curious, can continue to enjoy the spectacle. Every day, around 12:30 p.m., the sessions are broadcast in a program open to the public. “I'm not going to come every day, tells this Sablaise. MBut since I live here, I will come regularly. It's nice to follow live.“For another sailing enthusiast, on the other hand, there’s no question of missing a vacation.” We like to see what’s going on and the atmosphere. It’s still magical. For us, the Vendée Globe means a lot.”
Enthusiasts can attend the Vendée Globe skippers’ sessions every day at 12:30 p.m.
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© Damien Raveleau
In total, over these three weeks, the Vendée Globe village saw record attendance: 1.3 million visitors (compared to 1.15 million in 2016). An increase of 13%. An influx far from trivial for tourism in Sables d'Olonne, according to its mayor Yannick Moreau. ” Tourist attendance is higher in the years following the Vendée Globe year, analyzes the chosen one. The year of departure, there is a peak in attendance, which is important for the turnover of traders.”
But the most important thing is the dynamic over time.”
Yannick MoreauMayor of Sables d’Olonne
Record attendance, which also implies changes in the organization of future editions. “ IThere is no question of imagining leaving elsewhere, says Alain Leboeuf, president of the Vendée Globe. Simply in terms of fluidity, in terms of circulation, we must continue to imagine. We're going to work on that. I also spoke about it with Jean Le Cam, who is ready to come and give us a little help in our reflections.”
On November 10, the big departure was also widely watched. Sixty television stations broadcast the event live, France Télévisions of course, and two thirds internationally, offering global tourism promotion of the town of Les Sables d'Olonne, but also of the department. The departure also apparently saw record attendance. Some media have put forward the figure of 500,000 people, but for the moment no official figure is known.
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