Clarisse Crémer finishes 11th in the Vendée Globe 2024
by Vendée Globe media 26 Jan 20:07 PST
27 January 2025
Clarisse Crémer, skipper of L'Occitane en Provence - Vendée Globe 2024 © PKC Media
This Monday at 0336 hrs (UTC), Clarisse Crémer, skipper of L'Occitane en Provence, crossed the finish line of her second Vendée Globe, after 77 days, 15 hours and 34 minutes at sea to take a hard earned, very creditable 11th place.
After a very short preparation period which itself did not prove straightforward, Crémer has delivered an accomplished performance on the race course, a testament to her skill, tenacity in the face of multiple technical challenges, and the remarkable durability she has built up over her years ocean racing.
The stormy conditions off the Vendée coast did not allow her to enter the Les Sables d'Olonne channel on cue and she had to find shelter, being met by her technical team in La Rochelle.
Her race has shown a very solid sailing performance, highlighting her ability to maintain high average speeds on her IMOCA L'Occitane en Provence, the boat on which Charlie Dalin finished second on the last Vendée Globe. She maintained a strong position in the Southern Ocean racing neck and neck in a tight group with Germany's Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer), Briton Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) and Switzerland's Justine Mettraux. Whilst Herrmann and Mettraux were able to jump ahead on to the weather system in front Cremer and Davies were left behind, but the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence made good decisions in the South Atlantic which saw her break away from Davies to enjoy a spirited tussle with Benjamin Dutreux who only just eclipsed her for a place in the top 10.
In the very early days Crémer was dismayed to lose her large gennaker which she ultimately. sacrificed to protect her mast. On top of this she then had a foil cylinder failure which required her to shim the system, blocking it with wood wedges in the Southern Ocean. She had a mainsail hook problem but her most testing times were when a surge of water soaked her computer systems and she had to cannibalise a system out of the parts left working.
Despite everything Cremer stuck to the task, better knowing herself and appearing much more self assured than on her 2020-2021 race. She was always pushing forwards making numerous technical and tactical adjustments to stay in the race. On an emotional level this one was marked by intense moments, such as when she celebrated her daughter Mathilda's second birthday remotely, or when she rounded Cape Horn on 1 January, an interlude of respite in gentler conditions after her battles in the Southern Ocean.
Crémer is a relative latecomer to ocean racing. From a Parisian family she was pursuing a business career when she took to the MiniTransat in 2017 and highlighted her talent with a brilliant second place, all the time delivering great, fun social media messages as 'Clarisse sur L'Atlantique'. She was selected by Banque Populaire to compete on the last race on which she finished 12th.
This second Vendée Globe is a victory in itself, one that goes well beyond the commendable sports ranking on the classification. After her campaign was halted as she embraced motherhood, her comeback on to the Vendée Globe pathway was marked by immense challenges. But Crémer has proven once again that tenacity and passion can overcome all obstacles. At 34, she continues to inspire women's sailing and push the boundaries. Clarisse Crémer concludes her race on a high, proud and determined determined to fully enjoy her success.
Race in figures:
- Arrival time (UTC)Monday 27 January 2025 at 03h36
- Race time77d 15h 34min 28s
- Difference from first12d 20h 11min 39s
Clarisse Crémer covered theoretical course of 23?906 miles at an average speed of 12.83 knots.
Clarisse Crémer covered an actual course of 27?901 miles at an average speed of 14.97 knots.
Race highlights
Three days after the start, off Cape Finisterre, Clarisse loses her big gennaker (her largest sail). "I also lost all the sheets that go with it. But it was either my mast or my sail."
Clarisse celebrates her daughter Mathilda's birthday (2 years old) remotely. "It's a bit of a crazy moment for our family," she confides.
Between the Cape of Good Hope and the Kerguelen Islands, the sailor has to deal with the failure of a hydraulic ram in the foil control system. "It's not ideal for performance, we're going to have to adapt!"
Forced to repair her sail in the middle of the fog, Clarisse has to "do some sewing" while the mercury does not exceed 10 degrees. "It's hard on the hands!"
Thanks to a high pressure ridge under Australia that slows down her competitors in front, Clarisse manages to catch up with the group led by Sam Goodchild (7th).
Exhausted by the fatigue and the repetitive efforts, the sailor explained that she had a problem with the mainsail hook. 'It took me three hours to fix it and I obviously missed the front... I'm really fed up! ". With Sam Davies close by they were both overtaken by the front which Boris Herrmann and Justine Mettraux were able to go with and do the distance between the two pairs increased significantly.
Due to a water leak, her on-board computers are damaged. She describes a "rather rock and roll" breakdown but she managed to repair it in two days!
Clarisse rounds Cape Horn on New Years Day in gentle conditions that contrast with those she endured in the Southern Ocean.
Extremely tired, Clarisse admits to having hallucinations. "For a few seconds, I had the impression that I was going up and down a hill in Auvergne".
Off the coast of Brazil, the skipper manages to overtake Benjamin Dutreux after experiencing a lot of instability in the semi-permanent cold front.
Neck and neck with Benjamin Dutreux and Samantha Davies, she crosses the equator in 12th place.
Clarisse served a one-hour penalty after unintentionally breaking the seal of her grab bag (survival bag).
Clarisse Crémer has completed her second Vendée Globe, improving on her performance in the 2020 edition by around 10 days.
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