The stormy conditions off the Vendée coast did not allow her to enter the Les Sables d’Olonne channel on cue and she had to find shelter, being met by her technical team in La Rochelle.
Her race has shown a very solid sailing performance, highlighting her ability to maintain high average speeds on her IMOCA L’Occitane en Provence, the boat on which Charlie Dalin finished second on the last Vendée Globe. She maintained a strong position in the Southern Ocean racing neck and neck in a tight group with Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer), Briton Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) and Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux. Whilst Herrmann and Mettraux were able to jump ahead on to the weather system in front Cremer and Davies were left behind, but the skipper of L’Occitane en Provence made good decisions in the South Atlantic which saw her break away from Davies to enjoy a spirited tussle with Benjamin Dutreux who only just eclipsed her for a place in the top 10.
In the very early days Crémer was dismayed to lose her large gennaker which she ultimately . sacrificed to protect her mast. On top of this she then had a foil cylinder failure which required her to shim the system, blocking it with wood wedges in the Southern Ocean. She had a mainsail hook problem but her most testing times were when a surge of water soaked her computer systems and she had to cannibalise a system out of the parts left working.
Despite everything Cremer stuck to the task, better knowing herself and appearing much more self assured than on her 2020-2021 race. She was always pushing forwards making numerous technical and tactical adjustments to stay in the race. On an emotional level this one was marked by intense moments, such as when she celebrated her daughter Mathilda's second birthday remotely, or when she rounded Cape Horn on 1 January, an interlude of respite in gentler conditions after her battles in the Southern Ocean.
Crémer is a relative latecomer to ocean racing. From a Parisian family she was pursuing a business career when she took to the MiniTransat in 2017 and highlighted her talent with a brilliant second place, all the time delivering great, fun social media messages as ‘Clarisse sur L’Atlantique’. She was selected by Banque Populaire to compete on the last race on which she finished 12th.
This second Vendée Globe is a victory in itself, one that goes well beyond the commendable sports ranking on the classification. After her campaign was halted as she embraced motherhood, her comeback on to the Vendée Globe pathway was marked by immense challenges. But Crémer has proven once again that tenacity and passion can overcome all obstacles. At 35, she continues to inspire women's sailing and push the boundaries. Clarisse Crémer concludes her race on a high, proud and determined determined to fully enjoy her success.
