In the space of a couple of hours the 40 skippers enjoyed a unique and enormously emotional experience among crowds of family, team members, supporters and spectators. Farewells to loved ones at the pontoons were followed by the intensity of descending the legendary Les Sables d’Olonne canal, which was lined by hundreds of thousands of spectators, many of whom had been waiting since the early hours of the morning.
At this point the skippers are on stage and many play to the crowd. Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans - Wewise) crosses the pontoon like a boxer, Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur - DUO for a JOB) takes out his portable speaker and starts dancing to the rhythm in front of a hilarious audience. Some have dressed for the occasion: a chic coat for Antoine Cornic (HUMAN Immobilier), a Corto Maltese cap that Alan Roura (Hublot) keeps for special occasions, a pirate costume with a parrot on the shoulder for Damien Seguin (APICIL Group). Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori) put on a dark and sober kimono, and Xu Jing Kun (Singchain Team Haikou) a traditional blue and gold garment.
For others it’s an intensely emotional experience, with male and female skippers alike unable to hold back their tears. Arnaud Boissière (La Mie Câline) struggles to find the words in front of the cameras, Violette Dorange (Devenir) bursts into tears in the mixed zone, Maxime Sorel (V and B - Monbana - Mayenne) does the same in his brother's arms. It spreads like a wave on the cheeks of one of Yannick Bestaven's daughters (Maitre Coq), on the reddened face of Sébastien Marsset's wife (FOUSSIER) and even on Jérémie Beyou's right cheek.
"The start is bigger and more intense each time,” says Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée), while Pip Hare (Medallia) talked about an “incredible experience”, Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) about “a pride”, Oliver Heer (Tut Gut) about a “very special and very intense” moment. “The next victory will be to be at the finish”, assures Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group). Charlie Dalin’s wife (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) tells him a little differently: “you come back here, I don’t want to see you before!”
There are also stars among the spectators, including former Vendee Globe winners (Vincent Riou, Armel Le Cléac’h), astute observers (Loïck Peyron, Charles Caudrelier, Rich Wilson, Catherine Chabot, Marie Tabarly, Cole Brauer), prestigious team members (Alex Thomson, Franck Cammas, Alain Gautier, Yann Eliès, Halvard Mabire).
And everywhere possible crowds of unprecedented size packed the spaces around Port Olona, the embankments of the canal, the piers and even the beaches in an amazing display of sharing, emotion and excitement.
