Dutreux, who spent his summers sailing out of the Ile de Yeu where his grandparents lived before moving to Les Sables d’Olonne, was the revelation of the 2020 Vendée Globe, racing to ninth place with a fresh, open and very competitive outlook, competing on a 2007 Farr designed boat which he had only sailed solo once before the start of the last race. Now the quietly charismatic Dutreux has again highlighted his ability to bring an older generation boat to a superb result.
His race into the Top 10 has seen many ups and downs but he has consistently overcome the down moments with sheer tenacity and the skills accumulated over his last Vendée Globe and indeed The Ocean Race in which he and his team finished fifth.
After starting the race in the second pack, he took the lead of this group off the coast of Portugal, before crossing the equator respecting tradition with some humour by offering Neptune a beer and a few hairs from his ginger beard. Things proved complicated in the South Atlantic, where unstable winds saw him lose touch with the leading pack. He stuck to his guns rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 14th position. In the Indian Ocean he had to deal with successive big storms. Despite these challenges, he managed to make a strategic move in the Pacific, continuing south despite the storm to overtake Sam Davies and close in on Clarisse Crémer.
Dutreux rounded Cape Horn on January 1st in 12th position, marked a turning point for the skipper. In the Atlantic his systematic comeback began, finally making it into the Top 10 after gaining a place because of Boris Herrmann's foil damage and holding his own against his pursuers, including the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence, until the final miles.
He very much came into the last Vendée Globe under the radar but had already proven his potential over his three seasons on La Solitaire du Figaro with a best finish of fifth. Under his team name Eole Racing he bought, as 11th Hour Racing, the former Hugo Boss on which Alex Thomson took second in the 2016 Vendée Globe. Straight away he delivered a solid eighth place on the Route du Rhum before taking on The Ocean Race which ultimately really tested his resolve and that of his team, suffering a delamination and a dismasting.
A very popular, humble and approachable character around Les Sables d’Olonne it is certain Dutreux will get a warm welcome back home no matter the weather.
A performance that speaks volumes
By finishing his second Vendée Globe in 10th place, Benjamin Dutreux has cemented his place among the upper echelons of French ocean racers, a skipper well able to deliver a performance ahead of what might be expected of his boat. This Sunday, by crossing the finish line after more than 77 days at sea, he demonstrated that tenacity and ambition, combined with methodical management and a touch of audacity, can work wonders in a race as demanding as the Vendée Globe.
