"For me, this a completely crazy edition of the Vendée Globe and I think people are far from truly being able to imagine the mental difficulty that the sailors experience, particularly those in the leading group. The speeds and the pace they set are extremely impressive. For them, it's obviously very hard physically, but in my opinion, it's especially tough psychological. To cope, they have to be absolutely mentally armoured.
Without preparation, I would be completely incapable of maintaining such a pace. Agreeing to go so fast for such a long time is completely crazy. It’s not insignificant. I have a lot of respect for them. Will there come a time when one of them will say stop? I don’t know. In any case, we are far from suspecting what that implies, even if it’s just to eat, move around or even, quite simply, to go pee. I think they must be suffering and I don’t know at what point they will say “come on, let’s stop this!”
Marc Guillemot's view
After a first Vendée Globe completed in third place, after participating in the rescue of Yann Eliès in 2008-2009, Marc Guillemot once again tasted the incredible adventure of the round the world race four years later. After losing his keel not long after the start, the Breton skipper was sadly forced to retire, but today he remains one of the event’s most emblematic figures.
RACE, NOVEMBER 26, 2024 : Photo sent from the boat Groupe Dubreuil during the Vendee Globe sailing race on November 26, 2024. (Photo by skipper Sébastien Simon)
