Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe - Week 2
by L'Occitane Sailing Team 21 Nov 12:31 PST
21 November 2024
Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe - Week 2 © L'Occitane Sailing Team
Having entered a particularly active Doldrums on Wednesday, Clarisse Crémer was only stuck there for 24 hours, and has already returned to steadier winds and double-digit speeds on Thursday afternoon.
A new milestone for the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence, who had to deal with violent storms, light winds, torrential rain and violent gusts, putting her nerves and body to the test. But his spirits remained stable, despite the little and big odds and ends on board, with the South Atlantic in his sights!
L'Occitane en Provence in the leading group
Well back in the game after her early-race setbacks, Clarisse hasn't dropped out of the Top 10 since Friday November 15. This is a fine reward for the efforts she has made to bring out the full potential of her "rocket" L'Occitane en Provence, while opting for a trajectory with a good compromise between West and South. West, in order to find the best gateway into (and out of) the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and South in order to gain distance to the goal.
In fourth position on Wednesday evening, after a day of dealing with the moods of a small but very disturbed Doldrums, Clarisse didn't hide her delight at being in contact with the best: "I'm enjoying it, it's gratifying to be alongside the boats around me, the fleet is still well grouped, it's great, everyone still has a chance! Having to contend with a real game of cat and mouse, where "every time you make a little hole on the one behind you hope it doesn't come back, but at the same time you're happy to come back on the one in front", the skipper can indeed congratulate herself on her fine performance, having not benefited from the same preparation as her direct rivals. We mustn't get too carried away either," she moderates. We need to stay on course, not get tangled up in the maneuvers and continue to take our time."
Peace and quite tinkering and the Doldrums
Aware that good management of the skipper and the boat remains one of the essential components of a marathon such as the Vendée Globe, Clarisse took advantage of the mild conditions at the start of the week to take time for a first shower, a bit of rest, some tasty dishes based on fresh eggs, avocado, "sailor's bread" and her beloved grapefruit, and a maintenance session on her boat. Monday was thus "a good DIY day", with routine checks, "cache-misère" operations and post-strong weather and post-gennaker damage repairs.
Her large headsail, lost off Portugal, which she would have so much liked to have had to cross "a Doldrums like we like them". Stumped all day on Wednesday, "at 0 knots for half an hour!", Clarisse nonetheless kept up her commitment, linking up maneuvers and clawing back miles on the leaders, who were also at a standstill, until she reached the Top 5. "It's a good thing we'd slept well the nights before!" she exclaimed, exhausted and 'sweating', the boat's thermometer reading 33 degreesC inside.
This overheating was not appreciated by the onboard batteries either, which decided to play spoilsport on Wednesday night, depriving Clarisse of onboard electronics for several hours. "Goodbye autopilot, cartography and communications with the outside world", she lamented at the time, before resolving the problem and resuming her route, in 7th position. Although the Vendée Globe 2024 appears to have been the slowest edition in 20 years, sometimes frustrating competitors who are always "happier to go faster", these variations in fleet speed at least had the advantage of enabling Clarisse to catch up with the front group on two occasions.
Contemplation, happiness at sea and stable morale
"It was so beautiful too, on days when there was less wind," recalls the young woman, who hasn't forgotten why she's here. To go fast, yes, but also to live an extraordinary adventure. Above all, I'm happy to be still racing," she confides. After all those battles to get to the start, I was afraid I'd have to give up before I'd even got into my race, and that I'd done all that for nothing. Every day that goes by allows me to live this Vendée Globe to the full and takes away a little of that stress. I'm writing my story and enjoying it.
The joy of being alone at sea is already reflected in countless selfies, each more sunny than the last, with Clarisse's eyes shining brightly and a smile on her face. I've had a really good start to the race and I'm happy with my state of mind. Compared to 4 years ago, it's night and day. The only small - but oh so beautiful - shadow in the picture? November 15, little Mathilda's birthday, when she turned 2 in the absence of Mum and Dad. It's the only day I found difficult," she says, "I was projecting myself, wanting to be there for her, but now I'm feeling better!
South Atlantic straight ahead
With her sights now set on what's to come, officially out of the woods and ready to change hemispheres, Clarisse can look forward to remaining firmly attached to the head of the fleet, with the opportunity to catch "the north of a low-pressure system that could take us as far as the Cape of Good Hope". A new start before an express descent of the South Atlantic, where conditions will once again be chaotic. "Maybe I'll have a little grapefruit so I don't lose the North! Or to fill up on energy, because the challenge now is to keep up the pace!