FABRICE AMEDEO FINISHES THE VENDÉE GLOBE ON NEWEST MATMUT
After 103 days at sea, Fabrice finishes 11th in the 2016-17 Vendée Globe and thanks North Sails for “globally fast” and reliable 3Di sails.
While sitting in the newspaper offices of Le Figaro in Paris, Fabrice Amedeo built up a dream over the years: attempting the Vendee Globe. He went from IRC events with his family to trying his hand in the singlehanded Figaro and Class 40.
A few days ago, the 39 year old journalist-turned-ocean racer finished 11th in the Vendée Globe, 103 days after he started. He went from exhilarating speeds in the Atlantic to “safety first” mode in the southern ocean, and kept sharing his joy and happiness to be at sea through fun videos. After being short on food for the last fifteen days at sea, he managed to cross the line in 103 days, 21 hours.
Fabrice took some time to rave about the longevity and shape of his sails after he crossed the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne:
“First of all I would like to thank Alan Pennaneach from North Sails, who was with my team at the finish. He was at the start, it was important to me that he was at the finish.”
My sails have been globally fast and reliable, and I have been especially stunned by the incredible shape holding of the 3Di. Except for mainsail issues from my mistake during a 50 knot gale in the Indian Ocean, my set of sails is still in perfect condition. I told myself when I deployed my J2 just before the finish that it could very well sustain another 25,000 miles, although I pushed real hard on it! Same for my J1 and J3.
“I used my Cuben Fiber fractional Gennaker a lot. It was super versatile, and the angled luff allows the bow to rise and keep the boat fast and safe. I also had a Cuben Fiber Blast Reacher for strong winds in the Southern Ocean, but my systems were not reliable enough for me to use it safely. It will be for 2020.”
