SÉBASTIEN DESTREMAU CLOSES THE 8TH VENDÉE GLOBE FINISH LINE
SEBASTIEN DESTREMAU FINISHES VENDEE GLOBE
The final skipper reaches Nouch Sud with 100% re-fit North Sails inventory
Following an intense career in inshore racing, Sébastien Destremau decided four years ago to go for the big one – the Vendée Globe. A singlehanded circumnavigation is a different game, and Sébastien’s determination pushed him past a number of obstacles including one of the tightest budgets in the fleet. Nonetheless, Sébastien sailed his IMOCA Technofirst – faceOcean across the finish line Friday night, March 10th, and entered the channel of Port Olona Saturday morning when the tide was high and the fans loud.
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ailing on his IMOCA built in 1998, which has already been around twice in this iconic race, Sébastien had one of the more challenging races among the fleet. Dismasting two months before the start, enduring the loss of his start engine two weeks into the race, and capsizing in the Indian Ocean start to paint a picture of the hurdles this tough sailor surpassed. Add to it two broken ribs, having to stop a few days in Tasmania for repairs and maintenance, and losing his sea generators after Cape Horn, and you’re left thinking this guy may never brave the ocean again. However, the crowds that welcomed him into Les Sables on Saturday can vouch – his smile was as broad as the winner, and every finisher in between. Four months of sailing, even rationing his food for the last three weeks, it is water under the bridge of this heroic finish.
Stepping ashore, Sébastien thanked North Sails and especially his twin brother, Hugues, who helped patch a seaworthy inventory together from existing stock, recutting and reusing sails that had many stories already to their name.
“When I decided to go for North, I knew my brother was going to look after me. What I didn’t expect was that so many staff members (such as Thibault and others) put so much effort into my program, and worked tirelessly into completing our sail inventory.
North Sails France looked after this very small project probably the same way as they looked after the biggest Vendée Globe campaigns. There are no small or big customers with you guys. There is just a customer … and that’s a testament to your firm. So thank you very much for this.”
Sébastien’s inventory was made of used sails including a North Sails NPC TOUR mainsail, years old, North Sails 3DL jib, and a pair of re-fit North gennakers. Not one single sail was built for this boat, so the North team in France worked to modify stock sails, making adjustments so the sails would fit for the circumnavigation.
By crossing the line today, Sébastien wraps up a tremendous Vendée Globe for North Sails. Twelve boats carried full North Sails inventories including the record-breaking winner, Armel Le Cleach on Banque Populaire. In total, six of the top seven boats were powered by North Sails, and 22 out of the 29 Vendée skippers had North Sails onboard.
The Vendée Globe is above all a voyage to the ends of the sea and deep down into the sailor’s soul. Since its introduction in 1968, 167 sailors have lined up at the start of the Vendée Globe, while only 89 have managed to cross the finish line. This figure alone expresses the huge difficulty of this global event, where brave sailors set off alone to face testing seas immediately in the Bay of Biscay, hit record-breaking speeds through the Indian Ocean, leaden skies and crushing temps in the Southern Ocean, and the patience-testing highs and lows of the Atlantic. Starting alone is victorious.
“I made a key to close the door behind me in the Pacific and now I have another one to close the harbour entrance, as I’m the last one here in Les Sables d’Olonne.” – Sébastian Destremau closes the 8th Vendée Globe finish line on Saturday, March 11th, 50 days after the winner.
Congratulations to the skippers of the 8th Vendée Globe – that’s a wrap!!
