Vendée Globe – A brighter future

by Vendée Globe on 28 Oct 2016 Britain's Dee Caffari, the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world three times, a record which includes a sixth overall in an epic 2008-9 Vendée Globe, returns to the start and finish port of the legendary solo non stop around the world race, Les Sables d'Olonne, next week to share in the unique atmosphere when hundreds of thousands of well wishers line the water's edge to send this edition's 29 brave soloists on their way on Sunday 6th November.

Caffari and her French based compatriot Sam Davies, friends and rivals during the 2008-9 race which saw only 12 finishers from 30 starters and crewmates on Team SCA – the all women crew on the last Volvo Ocean Race (crewed stage race around the world) – harbour dreams of competing in the Vendée Globe again. Both miss this Vendée Globe race because the short time available to them after the completion of their Team SCA commitments precluded any kind of competitive Vendée Globe campaign.

But Caffari hopes that changes to the crew composition rules for the pinnacle crewed race around the world – the Volvo Ocean Race - might also help more female sailors make the big step up to solo racing around the world.
If more women sailors can gain hard experience in the hostile wastes of the Southern Ocean, competing in different roles in the more secure, supported environment of mixed sex or more all female race teams, she feels that women will be better equipped to go it alone and inherently more competitive after learning in the crewed in the environment.

For example it should improve the pathway from La Solitaire de Figaro or Class 40 racing, for to solo IMOCA racing and ultimately the Vendée Globe. With five women competing in last summer's La Solitaire du Figaro solo stage race between France and England, Caffari believes that the 2020 Vendée Globe might see women competing again.
Caffari explains: “The Volvo Ocean Race is making rule changes to incentivise teams to have females. The GC32 (foiling multihull circuit) is changing the rules to allow an extra crew member if it is a female or a youth team. They are encouraging female participation. But I think it is encouraging that there were five girls in the Figaro and unfortunately for those women who did the last Volvo the timing just does not work. Hopefully there will be a big push for next time.”

There is no shortage of talent nor likely candidates for the next edition: “I think the Vendée Globe is on women's agendas. Isabelle Joschke had a storming Transat and she is prime to step up to this league, same as Justine Mettraux on the Figaro. Anna Corbella was talking about it. So there are definitely women ready and it is on their radars. I am hopeful that in four years they will all be in Les Sables d'Olonne, and me, and I know Sam Davies would love to be there too.”

And she has no doubts women can prove as competitive as their male counterparts, under the right conditions: “I think the race is still up for grabs. Everyone doubted Ellen MacArthur, the little petite English girl whupped them. Sam was only just off the podium, I was sixth. Because the Vendée Globe is a law unto itself it really never follows the rankings, you can put people in lines of where you expect them to finish, but it never really follows that. It is such a war of attrition it never materialises like you think. As long as you have a competitive boat, you have sailed the miles, you play the weather well and push hard you will be in amongst it. It is one of the few races where we have shown it makes no difference to be female.'

And she believes the Volvo Ocean Race can be a transition stage to the Vendée Globe for aspiring females: “Now I am thinking that more women in the Volvo will help bridge the gap from the Figaro to the Vendée Globe. It will give them the Southern Ocean experience with a team around them and then can make the transition to solo easier.”
If it was one or the other – a perfect Volvo or a perfect Vendée Globe programme what would Caffari choose? “The Vendée Globe. Without doubt. Nobody can take anything away from you. The good bits are you and the bad bits are down to you. You have to put it all together and make it work to get round. It is the Ultimate. In the Volvo you rely on the team around. I like the intensity of the Volvo. It is 100% all the time. When you sleep it is still on at 100%. And living the Volvo at that intensity has made me a better sailor.”