Sailor Clarisse Crémer will not be at the start of the Vendée Globe in 2024 at the helm of the trimaran “People’s Bank”a decision linked to a change in the regulations of the event but also, she says, to her very recent maternity.
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“I gave birth in November 2022 to a baby girl. While nothing obliged me to do so, I had informed my sponsor Banque Populaire in February 2021 of my child’s project. They still chose me for this new Vendée Globe”writes Clarisse Crémer in a post on the social network Instagram, titled “Banque Populaire decides to leave me at the quay”.
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Instagram – A post shared by Clarisse Crémer (@clarissesurlatlantique)
“I learned last Friday that Banque Populaire had finally decided to replace me. By their decision, and despite my constant will, I will not be at the start of the Vendée Globe 2024 »continues the 33-year-old sailor.
Clarisse Crémer “am in shock”
“The Vendée Globe rules for the 2024 edition require all skippers to compete based on the number of miles covered in the race. On this criterion, of course, I fell behind the other competitors at the start, this maternity having prevented me from being present in the qualifying races for a year »she acknowledges, before noting: “Today the Banque Populaire decides that this represents a ‘risk’ for them that they ultimately do not want to run. »
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“I’m in shock (…) For Banque Populaire it would be ‘letting fate choose for them’, when they ‘must’ be at the start of the Vendée Globe. They are ready to assume the risk of a giant trimaran, and all the natural, technical and human hazards associated with offshore racing, but obviously not that of motherhood”concludes Clarisse Crémer, who finished 12th in the last Vendée Globe, in 2021, setting a new women’s record for this solo non-stop round the world race in 87 days 2 h 24 min 25 s.
The solutions rejected by the race organizers
In a statement published this Wednesday, February 2, Banque Populaire had invoked the changes in the regulations of the test to justify its decision. “In October 2021, the organizer of the round the world race announced a new, unprecedented qualification method that no longer allows “finishers” (sailors who have already completed a previous edition of the event, editor’s note) to be directly qualified for the edition next “recalled the banking group.
“It established a system for accumulating points to be acquired between winter 2021 and summer 2024 by participating in races on the circuit for the allocation of 40 places in the event (including a wildcard, invitation editor’s note)”he added, continuing: “Having been unable to participate in these races for fortunate reasons of maternity, Clarisse is today in a situation which does not allow her to hope to obtain the number of points necessary to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2024.”.
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Banque Populaire claims to have started discussions with the organizers of the race “from the summer of 2022 to address the unique situation of the sailor” : “Several solutions have been proposed by Team Banque Populaire to the organizer so that the regulations take into account the situation of women in the Vendée Globe and the question of maternity. All these proposals, as well as the requests for the allocation of a wildcard guarantee, have been rejected, including the one made a few days ago, and it is regrettable”.
Joined by AFP, the organizers of the Vendée Globe have indicated that they will publish a press release during the day. The tenth edition of the Vendée Globe will set off from Les Sables d’Olonne on November 10, 2024.
