PRESS CONFEREN C E PRESENTATION OF THE 2008-2009 VENDÉE GLOBE Paris, Tuesday 16th September 2008 PRESS PA C K 2 2008/2009 EDITORIAL As it reaches its twentieth anniversary next year, the Vendée Globe is in four years, which goes way beyond the single-handed yachtsmen on Olympic form. It has never justified so strongly its reputation as one of their heroic three month long voyage beyond the horizon for the millions the most spectacular sporting and media events in the world, attracting of individuals, who passionately follow their adventure. the attention of sailing fans and lovers of amazing feats around the world several months before the starting gun is fired. It is the perfect event to allow the imagination to run wild, for dreams to be conjured up, for the hearts of young and old alike to beat that This sixth edition of the «Everest of the Seas» will be a record brea- little bit faster, as the conquerors find themselves in the middle of wide ker. A record number of entrants with thirty yachtsmen lining up at open spaces. the start. A record in terms of diversity with apart from the seventeen French entrants, thirteen foreign participants. A record of experience The Vendée Globe is also an event, where everyone becomes involved. and know-how: 14 participants have previously taken part in the race, There are the people of Vendée, around their Council and business including the two previous winners, Michel Desjoyaux and Vincent Riou leaders, who remain determined to keep «their» race, if anyone talks - some already twice or three times and even four in the case of one of of moving it elsewhere. Thee are the hundreds of thousands of spec- them, Marc Thiercelin. A technological record too, as twenty of these tators, who turn up on the pontoons and along the coast to enjoy the monohulls were specially designed for the event. start or the finish of the race. Then, there are the tens of millions of men and women around the world, who follow the event thanks to the press, The performance will be worthy of the event itself: anything can happen, media and Internet. when you have five continents and all of the oceans as the backdrop. The Vendée Globe is in itself an amazing challenge taking place every The Vendée Globe is simply out of this world, while remaining a human endeavour. Philippe de Villiers President of the Vendée Council 3 4 2008/2009 CONT E NTS EDITORIAL BY PHILI ppe D E VILLI E RS 3 AN HISTORIC ROUND TH E WORLD RA ce 6/7 30 SKI ppe RS AT TH E IR pe AK 8/23 DE SJOY E AUX , RIOU : IN TH E WORDS OF TH E WINN E RS 24/25 ALL TH E WAY AROUND AND BA C K … 26/27 SH ee R AD ve NTUR E ! 28 TH E INT E RNATIONAL V O C ATION 29 HISTORY OF TH E L E G E NDARY RA ce 30/31 TW E NTY N E W MONOHULLS 32/33 30 O pe N 60’ AT TH E START 34/35 ORGANIS E RS AND RA ce DIR ec TORS : FOUR MAIN AX E S 36 SAF E TY : IM P RO ve D ARRANG E M E NTS 37 TH E RA ce VILLAG E IN LE S SABL E S D’OLONN E : AS BIG AS TH E eve NT ITS E LF ! 38/39 VE NDÉ E GLOB E RA ce HE ADQUART E RS IN PARIS 40/41 AUDIO -V ISUAL P RODU C TION AND DISTRIBUTION 42 OFFI C IAL WE BSIT E 43 VE NDÉ E , S E A D ep ARTM E NT 44 TH E H E ART OF TH E VE NDÉ E GLOB E IS B E ATING IN LE S SABL E S D’OLONN E ! 45 SOD E B ’O, A SU cce SSFUL BRAND 46 TH E IMOCA CLASS 47 OFFI C IAL SU pp LI E RS 48/49 5 2008/2009 PR E S E NTATION An historic round the world race THERE WILL BE T HIR T Y CON T ENDERS IN T HIS GLOBAL AD - VEN T URE , AS REGIS T RA T IONS CLOSED ON 1S T JULY 2008: YOUNG RECRUI T S FROM T HE FIGARO CIRCUI T , T HOSE FROM 2004, WHO ARE RE T URNING EVER MORE DE T ERMINED BU T WI T H SOME NEW ARGUMEN T S , AS WELL AS SOME FORMER WINNERS . THIS EDITION CER T AINLY LOOKS LIKE BEING EX - CEP T IONAL . THE PACE OF T HE RACE IS BOUND T O BE VERY FAS T INDEED , GIVEN T HE HIGH S T ANDARD OF COMPE T I T ION ... BU T T HEY ALL NEED T O MAKE SURE T HEY DON ’T HAVE ANY ACCIDEN T S ON T HE WAY ! 6 A RECORD NUMBER OF EN T RAN T S THE MOS T DEMANDING EVEN T AND T HE GREA T ES T 13 competitors lined up for the first edition of the Vendée Globe in OF ADVEN T URES « ...The standard of 1989, 20 in 2004… There are going to be 30 in 2008. Looking beyond One thing is certain. The standard of the competition in this race is the numbers, it is the quality of the candidates that is impressive. To likely to be extremely high. However, the yachtsmen are going to have competition in this start, take two former winners, Vincent Riou and Michel Desjoyeaux, to find the right balance between the quest for speed and care of the five medallists, Jean Le Cam, Mike Golding, Roland Jourdain, Loïck equipment and themselves in the southern seas. race is likely to be Peyron and Marc Thiercelin, two prize-winning round the world sailors We can look forward to seeing some great personalities in this race: from other races, Jean-Pierre Dick and Bernard Stamm and you already in each Vendée Globe, there are those, who cannot stop talking, while extremely high. » have an exceptional line-up. Add to that some young guns from the others impress with their precise analysis and their well thought out Figaro races, like Yann Elies, Jérémie Beyou and Armel le Cléac’h. Mix choices. Then, there are those moments, which we experience with in some top level racers, who are returning to the race, like Sébastien the yachtsmen: sometimes their deepest fears, as they walk on a tigh- Josse, Dominique Wavre and Alex Thomson. Season with some strong trope on the breakers in the Indian Ocean, their simple pleasures, when personalities like Marc Guillemot, Brian Thompson, Jonny Malbon and they meet a school of dolphins and when they follow the flight of the Kito de Pavant. Stir all that around on a gentle heat and you are sure albatross, their anger at losing a few miles to their nearest rival, their to get the tastiest of stews. To finish add a pinch of those yachtsmen, boundless joy, as they pose for the camera as they round the Horn... who are looking as much for adventure as for the technical challenge. Of course, we will always remember the name of the winner of this race People like Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, Arnaud Boissières, Yannick Besta- and perhaps the runners-up. But, as with each race, we will remember ven and Raphaël Dinelli, who know full well that it is going to be difficult too the emotional highlights, those moments, which most moved us, to fight it out for a place on the podium, but who are keen to show where we could really feel for the lone yachtsmen. When they return, they can sail cleanly and have what it takes to sail all the way around looking rather lost, we will see how much of their story belongs uniquely the world in their boats. Let’s not forget that exotic touch with the vital to them. And yet, sometimes without knowing it, they will have offered Basque ingredient with the presence of Unai Basurko, the man, who us something precious, a chance to share in a dream. is there through his own efforts, Steve White, the new world entrants with the participation of Rich Wilson and Derek Hatfield and dancing his incredible Viennese waltz, Norbert Sedlacek. The feminine touch is also a vital element and we can count on Dee Caffari and Sam Davies to show what the women can do. 7 2008/2009 LIST OF E NTRANTS 30 skippers at their peak BASURKO UNAI P AKEA BIZKAIA P9 BESTAVEN YANNI C K ÉNER G IES A ut O U R D U MONDE BEYOU JEREMIE DEL T A DORE P10 BOISSIÈRES ARNA U D AKENA V ÉRANDAS CAFFARI DEE A V I V A P11 DAVIES SAMAN T HA RO xy DE PAVANT KI T O G RO up E B EL P12 DESJOYEAUX MI C HEL FON C IA DEJEANTY JEAN -BA pt IS T E G RO up E MAISON NE uv E P13 DICK JEAN -PIERRE P A P RE C -V IR B A C DINELLI RA P HAEL FONDA T ION O C EAN V I T AL P14 ELIES YANN G ENERALI GOLDING MIKE E C O V ER P15 GUILLEMOT MAR C SAFRAN HATFIELD DEREK SPIRIT OF C ANADA P16 JOSSE SÉ B AS T IEN bt JOURDAIN ROLAND V EOLIA EN V IRONNEMEN T P17 LE CAM JEAN V M MA T ÉRIA ux LE CLEAC’H ARMEL B RI T AIR P18 MALBON JONN Y AR T EMIS PEYRON LOÏ C K G I T ANA EI G H ty P19 RIOU VIN C EN T P R B SEDLACEK NOR B ER T NA ut I C S P OR T KA P S C H P20 STAMM BERNARD C HEMINÉES P O uj O U LA T THIERCELIN MAR C D C NS P21 THOMPSON BRIAN P INDAR THOMSON ALE X H ug O B OSS P22 WAVRE DOMINIQ U E T EMENOS WHITE ST E V E SPIRIT OF W E Y MO ut H P23 WILSON RI C H G REA T AMERI C A III 8 Nationality: Spanish, born in 1973 Nationality: French, born in 1974 Lives in: Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain) Lives in: La Rochelle UNAI BAS U RKO YANNI C K BES T A V EN (Western France) Pakea Bizkaia Energies autour du monde THE BASQUE NEP T UNE A LOVE OF T HE SEA AND A FINE HEAD ON HIS SHOULDERS «The Basque Neptune», is what the Spanish media have nicknamed the yachts- It is difficult not to get attached to Yannick Bestaven.