The Vendée Globe skippers get together in Les Sables d’Olonne

by Olivier Bourbon / M&M on 9 Sep 2016 With less than two months to go to the start of the non-stop solo round the world race on 6th November, the sailors registered for this eighth edition got together in Les Sables d’Olonne on Thursday 8th September for a briefing, which will continue on Friday.

Safety, communication, exclusion zones, penalties, crisis management… Various themes were examined during this meeting, which allowed the skippers to meet and get to know each other.

It gave us a taste of the Vendée Globe in Les Sables d’Olonne. On Thursday and Friday, the competitors for the eighth edition of the non-stop solo round the world race attended a briefing organised a few metres from the harbour entrance that they will leave on 6th November.

Lively, yet friendly debates
On Thursday morning, the Race Committee gave details about the class rules and medical matters. Information was also given about the start, the course, the exclusion zones (including Antarctica), penalties and the appeal procedures or requests for redress. After that, there was a presentation of the editorial arrangements to be put in place during the race for all the Vendée Globe media, including the website, smart app, video channels, webTV and social media.

On Thursday afternoon, the skippers watched a video to inform them about filming techniques, editing and how to send back pictures during the round the world voyage. During these training sessions, the discussions with the skippers were very positive.

Skippers pleased to get to know each other
During the breaks, the sailors also had the opportunity to meet and chat with others. While some know each other already and meet up regularly, others met for the first time during these two days in Les Sables d’Olonne. They all seemed pleased to talk to each other about the challenge that lies ahead.

This skippers’ meeting will continue on Friday with the theme of crisis management being discussed with the teams and the Race Directors. Then, another important topic will be discussed - monitoring the ice in the Antarctic Exclusion Zone. The day will end with safety and rescue training classes.