Setting off on the round-the-world sailing race: Justine Mettraux on the trial run
Image: Keystone
Alan Roura has his sights set on a top ten place
Image: Keystone
Justine Mettraux's living room for the next three months
Image: Keystone
Justine Mettraux can look out from the interior
Image: Keystone
In principle, Alan Roura only has to leave the interior to change the sails
Image: Keystone
Setting off on the round-the-world sailing race: Justine Mettraux on the trial run
Image: Keystone
Alan Roura has his sights set on a top ten place
Image: Keystone
Justine Mettraux's living room for the next three months
Image: Keystone
Justine Mettraux can look out from the interior
Image: Keystone
In principle, Alan Roura only has to leave the interior to change the sails
Image: Keystone
The Swiss trio at the Vendée Globe are not among the favorites. Justine Mettraux and Alan Roura can count a top ten place as a success, Oliver Heer can count reaching the finish line.
08.11.2024, 04:46
08.11.2024, 07:09
SDA
Six female sailors and 34 male sailors from ten countries will set sail from Les Sables-d'Olonne on the French Atlantic coast on Sunday afternoon and circumnavigate the globe non-stop and alone. The tenth edition of the Vendée Globe promises three months of spectacle. Around 45,000 kilometers have to be covered on the way around Antarctica, the ice sheet in the southern hemisphere.
Experts do not expect the Swiss flag to be at the front of the pack. As in the America's Cup, which recently came to an end off Barcelona with flying AC75 yachts, improvements are constantly being made in the Open 60 class of monohulls. Around a third of the field will be sailing on the latest generation of boats, but not Mettraux and Roura.
Second best version
The duo from western Switzerland will be sailing on modified versions of the second latest generation. The differences to the top yachts are probably not huge, but they are there nonetheless. The hull of the Imoca boats in particular has been further optimized in recent years. The approximately 18-metre-long colossi also operate with foils, but the ideal condition is not pure flying. Rather, the yachts should surf on the rear part of the hull, while the foils help to lift the boat slightly and, above all, keep it as upright as possible in the wind to provide more sail area.
Experience has shown that the latest generation of boats are prone to breakdowns. Mettraux and Roura will certainly benefit from breakdowns. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to keep them in the top ten. Because in the Vendée Globe, the choice of route or the weather conditions also make the difference.
For this reason, Frenchman Armel Le Cléac'h's course record of 74 days 3 hours and 35 minutes, set in 2017, could last another four years. The weather was perfect back then. In 2021, the first person crossed the finish line in 80 days; the longest winner of the circumnavigation was Alain Gautier in 1993, namely 110 days.
It is highly likely that a Frenchman will also win the tenth edition. Charlie Dalin and Yoann Richomme are particularly popular with the bookmakers. At the other end of the scale is Heer, who is the first Swiss-German ever to take part in this race. However, the man from Rapperswil is not inexperienced on the high seas. From 2018 to 2022, he sailed for a team in the 60 Open class. However, Heer lacked the sponsors to launch a competitive campaign. The 36-year-old was given the 40th and final starting place.
At 65, Jean Le Cam is the oldest participant. The Breton is starting the "Mount Everest of the seas" for the sixth time. At 31, Roura is one of the youngest and is taking part for the third time. It is a first for Mettraux and Heer.
Tough conditions
The regatta requires courage, sailing skills and plenty of technical know-how. After all, hardly anyone gets around the world without problems or damage. And stamina is also required. The sailors don't get much sleep - despite the autopilot. More than half an hour at a time is hardly possible.
The Vendée Globe is also a kind of climate voyage. The route leads from autumnal France down to the summery southern hemisphere and then around the Antarctic back to wintry Europe. The latter suits the food. There is almost exclusively freeze-dried food.
