Youngest sailor completes Globe Vendee « Euro Weekly News
Violette Dorange has just completed the Vendée Globe yacht race. Photo Credit Facebook Violette Dorange
Globe Trotting 23-year-old Violette Dorange from France has completed the Vendée Globe Race coming 25th after 90 days and 22 hours at sea.
She beat a previous record to become the youngest sailor in the race’s history to complete the round the world yachting event.
Solo yachting round the world, non-stop for three months
The Vendée sailing race is a round the world, non-stop, no assistance, solo yacht race. It was first started in 1989, when 13 sailors took to the sea that year and spent three months at sea only 7 completed the race.
Dorange placed 25th and is joined by three other women in the tables which track the sailors in their round the world trip, Dorange’s finish means there are four women skippers who have finished in the top 25. Dorange has amassed a social media following whilst on her journey and took to Facebook to thank them after her, she said “Thank you to everyone who went on this tour of the world with me.”
Vendée Globe said of her finish “Violette Dorange made history in the Vendée Globe today by becoming, at just 23 years old, the youngest sailor to complete this solo round-the-world race! An outstanding achievement! Thousands of you welcomed her in the channel! Thank you for being there!”
The Everest of the seas
Vendée Globe race is known as the “Everest of the seas”. According to organisers the course is “45,000 kilometres or 24,300 miles [in distance]: that’s the theoretical distance a sailor would sail around the world.” A record time of 74 days and 3 hours was set in the 2016-2017 edition of the race. The individual voyages all begin from les Sables d’Olonne in autumn and head for the southern seas for summer in the south before a return during winter to Vendée.
Although the theoretical distance travelled is huge, organisers say that adverse weather and boat issues can cause lengthier journeys: “In reality… most competitors sometimes sailed over 28,000 miles…The solo racers have to deal with the wind, waves, swell and ice. The trajectories of the boats are thus a chain of broken lines, zigzags, detours and changes in courses.”
The first place winner of the race is fellow Frenchman, Charlie Dalin, who finished the race mid-January after 64 days and 19 hours.
Get your daily dose of French News here.
