Violette Dorange: “I pursued my dream!”

I am still in shock, stunned by the size of the crowd when I arrived! It was incredible! I feel a lot of different emotions, I feel like I am having a bit of an out of body experience. I am so happy to have completed this round the world race. I have achieved my dream, this adventure, and it is exceptional! The race lived up to my expectations. Over these three months, I have experienced things that I would never have imagined. I have gone through storms with six-meter waves and violent winds. I have had some hard times including having to climb the mast twice, but also magical moments, like the discovery of Staten Island, marking the beginning of the Atlantic climb. This adventure was intense and unforgettable. Start day and finish day will be etched in my memory for life. Three months without seeing one single human face, and today this huge crowd, it’s incredible! I was warned that the arrival would feel like a human tidal wave, but I never expected it to be to this extent! I would like to thank my friends dressed as dinosaurs, that touched me a lot. I shed a tear in the channel. The length of the race was difficult to manage: three months without seeing any of my loved ones is a long time. I really need to see them again, to hug them.

For two months, I was fully into the game, battling with the group of daggerboard boats in a superb fight. As we approached Cape Horn, I chose to wait two days because of the strong winds. This break made me disconnect from the group, but I didn’t give up. Little by little, I managed to climb back up and gain places during the climb back up the Atlantic. This race, above all, was a great adventure. Thanks to my racing experience, I cultivated a competitive spirit that pushed me to give everything: I slept little, I made sure to trim the boat as well as possible. I think I did my best. All the competitors gave it their all, even if they were not up the front of the race. There was a real battle until the end, especially with Kojiro Shiraishi, Louis Duc and Sébastien Marsset. 

I didn't feel good about this passage at Cape Horn. A big depression blocked the passage, like a dam. But in the end, it was not as strong than expected. In hindsight, this choice was perhaps not the right one, especially as immediately after I had strong winds which blew a sail into the water. But with "ifs", we could rebuild the world. I take responsibility for this decision.

During the entire climb up the Atlantic, I didn’t have an engine. I did everything with my renewables energy. The hydro generators and solar panels worked very well, and I never had any problems because of that. But I had other problems, like a hook that caused a sail to fall into the water. I had to bring it back on board and climb the mast to fix it, a first for me solo. Two days later, the mainsail lashing gave way, and it crashed down too. I had to climb the mast a second time, but this time in waves, which was much more complicated. I hurt myself a bit and I was scared. Finally, for the last month, I had to top handle everything because I no longer had a pedestal winch.

I have been afraid many times and I don’t hide it. I was afraid before entering the Southern Ocean because I didn’t know what to expect. During the storms, I often felt like everything was going to break. I also if I was scared when climbing the mast. But fear can be a good thing: it keeps you focused. What is hard in the Vendée Globe is that you have to keep moving forward despite the fear. I learned not to worry in advance so as not to suffer twice. When I heard the boat hitting the waves, I wondered how it would hold up. I ended up telling myself that if something broke, I would find a solution. 

Seeing so many children following the Vendée Globe touched me enormously. My boat is called DEVENIR (Future ndlr) and it is not by chance. I want to convey certain values: believe in yourself, surpassing yourself, daring to embark on an adventure, even if it is not easy. This message is also conveyed by the Fondation des Apprentis d'Auteuil, which helps young people in difficulty. But this message is not just for young people: it is also for older people, so that they can also trust young people. All this enthusiasm carried me throughout the race. In difficult moments, I told myself that there were too many people behind me for me to give up. It helped me enormously.

For three months, I was in my own bubble, without access to social media. I became aware of the enthusiasm thanks to the messages from my family and my team. It was incredible. I did not expect so much support. It touched me a lot at sea, and I would simply like to say thank you.

My primary goal was to complete this round the world race and live an exceptional adventure. And that is what I did. Summing up all of that is difficult. It’s unique, you’re alone in the world, sometimes closer to the space station than to any other human. I’ve seen incredible things: icebergs 20 miles away, polar storms, rainbows. My dream has come true. I wanted to show that you’re capable of achieving great things, even when you’re young. I hope I’ve shared this adventure as best I can, and I don’t think it’s over: there’s still a lot to pass on.

Yes, that’s for sure. Living alone on a boat for three months is special. I’ve realised more than ever before much I love my family and friends. The Vendée Globe brings together a huge number of people, a bit like a wedding where everyone is together. I received a lot of love, and it carried me throughout the race, even if I missed human contact. This experience has made me stronger. 

Unique, magical and surpassing oneself.

I love competition. I've always done the French, European and world championships. It's stimulating. The adventure side is ticked, but the top performance is out there to achieve. There is still a lot of work to do. But it's exciting: a new adventure begins, and I trust in the future."

I'm going to take the time to decompress, to enjoy all that, to let the pressure go down. But of course, I want to continue ocean racing, and take part in a future edition of the Vendée Globe.