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In search of a second wind. In recent years, the mythical Whitbread created in 1973, renamed the Volvo Ocean Race (from 2001 to 2018) and then The Ocean Race, has lost some of its grandeur. With this 14th edition, which starts on Sunday at 16:10 in Alicante (Spain), the manned round-the-world race with stopovers enters an important transitional phase.
For the first time in its history, the event, two of the last three editions of which have been won by French skippers (Franck Cammas on Groupama in 2011-2012 and Charles Caudrelier at the helm of the Chinese boat Dongfeng in 2017-2018), has actually been driven aboard Imoca with foils (18.28 m).
The Vendée Globe boats follow a line of monohulls, from the Maxi and WOR 70 to the VOR 70 and VOR 65. “It’s kind of like a new era opening up, believes Antoine Mermod, chairman of the Imoca class, a thriving category. The Ocean Race is a historic Anglo-Saxon event being reinvented. It attracted less, it had to develop. »
Against the background of the Covid crisis, its new Swedish owners, Johan Salén and Richard Brisius, have decided to redraw the contours of the competition: in addition to the choice of boat, the course is more limited (7 stages compared to 11 in 2017, i.e. 32,000 miles, 59,200 km, compared to 45,000 miles 83,300 km) and the shorter regatta, nine to six months.
“We may be disappointed with the number of boats but I hope this premiere will attract other competitors”
Kevin Escoffier, skipper of Holcim-PRB
Despite everything, there are only five international crews to commit to the planetary adventure, which will end in Genoa (Italy) at the end of June-beginning of July after stops in Cape Verde, Cape Town (South Africa) , Itajai (Brazil), Newport (USA), Aarhus (Denmark) and The Hague (Netherlands) [*]). “There was complicated timing with Covid, which affected the projects, continues Mermod. We would have preferred to have eight boats at the start, but it is already a victory to be there. It is a new challenge. And it’s always the same, when there’s something new, you always have pioneers and those waiting to see. »
On the grid side, there are four skippers present on the final Route du Rhum, Paul Meilhat (Biotherm Racing), Kevin Escoffier (Holcim-PRB), Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environment-Team Europe) and the German Boris Herrmann (Team Malizia), to which is added the American Charlie Enright (11th Hour Racing Team). “With Rum, it’s one of those events that made me dream, launches Escoffier, 42 years old and already two editions to his credit as a team member at Dongfeng (3rd in 2014-2015, 1st in 2017-2018). I like the solo, but I also like the crew. But in France, with the Tabarly legacy, we swear by the Cabal. What I like is getting 100% of the boat’s capacity and the human side. Sportingly, they wanted Imoca to have more boats. We may be disappointed with the number, but I hope this premiere will attract other competitors. It is a logical development. »
“It’s another dimension and new to me, I feel like a child, meanwhile loose Meilhat (age 40). I hadn’t felt that in a long time. Six months of running, that excites me. The opportunity to do that in an Imoca is fantastic. The advantage of this class is that you can participate in various events with these boats over a four-year program. I can’t wait to be there and get the best seat possible. It will also allow us to make the boat more reliable for the 2024 Vendée Globe.”
Six crews participate in VOR 65 in stages 1, 6 and 7.
