Image: L’Occitane en Provence skipper Clarisse Crémer (FRA) Photo by PKC Media
Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environnement – Water Family), 10th in the Vendée Globe 2024
The stormy skies, strong winds and big waves were not the kind of welcome home Vendéen solo racer Benjamin Dutreux would have preferred, but the determined skipper of GUYOT environnement – Water Family crossed the finish line of his second Vendée Globe this Sunday afternoon at 1541 hrs UTC to take a fantastic 10th place. It is an impressive result for a sailor who sailed fast and smart and made some bold strategic choices which allowed him to break into the Top 10 with an older, 2015 generation boat. Faced with difficult weather conditions Dutreux chose to head to the nearby port of La Rochelle, where the sea conditions are more favourable, seeking to ensure his safety and that of his boat. Once the situation has eased, he will return to Les Sables d’Olone, where a warm welcome will await him,reflecting the local pride he inspires. His elapsed time is 77d 03h 39min and he finished 1d 01h 37min after Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE).
Dutreux, who spent his summers sailing out of the Ile de Yeu where his grandparents lived before moving to Les Sables d’Olonne, was the revelation of the 2020 Vendée Globe, racing to ninth place with a fresh, open and very competitive outlook, competing on a 2007 Farr designed boat which he had only sailed solo once before the start of the last race. Now the quietly charismatic Dutreux has again highlighted his ability to bring an older generation boat to a superb result.
His race into the Top 10 has seen many ups and downs but he has consistently overcome the down moments with sheer tenacity and the skills accumulated over his last Vendée Globe and indeed The Ocean Race in which he and his team finished fifth.
After starting the race in the second pack, he took the lead of this group off the coast of Portugal, before crossing the equator respecting tradition with some humour by offering Neptune a beer and a few hairs from his ginger beard. Things proved complicated in the South Atlantic, where unstable winds saw him lose touch with the leading pack. He stuck to his guns rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 14th position. In the Indian Ocean he had to deal with successive big storms. Despite these challenges, he managed to make a strategic move in the Pacific, continuing south despite the storm to overtake Sam Davies and close in on Clarisse Crémer.
Dutreux rounded Cape Horn on January 1st in 12th position, marked a turning point for the skipper. In the Atlantic his systematic comeback began, finally making it into the Top 10 after gaining a place because of Boris Herrmann's foil damage and holding his own against his pursuers, including the skipper of L'Occitane en Provence, until the final miles.
He very much came into the last Vendée Globe under the radar but had already proven his potential over his three seasons on La Solitaire du Figaro with a best finish of fifth. Under his team name Eole Racing he bought, as 11th Hour Racing, the former Hugo Boss on which Alex Thomson took second in the 2016 Vendée Globe. Straight away he delivered a solid eighth place on the Route du Rhum before taking on The Ocean Race which ultimately really tested his resolve and that of his team, suffering a delamination and a dismasting.
A very popular, humble and approachable character around Les Sables d’Olonne it is certain Dutreux will get a warm welcome back home no matter the weather.
A performance that speaks volumes
By finishing his second Vendée Globe in 10th place, Benjamin Dutreux has cemented his place among the upper echelons of French ocean racers, a skipper well able to deliver a performance ahead of what might be expected of his boat. This Sunday, by crossing the finish line after more than 77 days at sea, he demonstrated that tenacity and ambition, combined with methodical management and a touch of audacity, can work wonders in a race as demanding as the Vendée Globe.
Race in figures
Arrival time (UTC) Sunday 26 January 2025 at 15h41
Race time 77d 03h 39min 24s
Difference from first 12d 08h 16min 35s
Benjamin Dutreux covered theoretical course of 23 906 miles at an average speed of 12.91 knots.
Benjamin Dutreux covered an actual course of 28 514
Clarisse Crémer, 11th in the Vendée Globe 2024
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 35, 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 time 77d 15h 34min 28s
Difference from first 12d 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.