What are the commitments in favor of social progress in the world of ocean racing? A badly done regulation, a major economic stake? In the case of Clarisse Crémer, probably a bit of both. The Banque Populaire skipper learned from her sponsor at the end of January that she would not be taking part in the Vendée Globe 2024 as planned. It is of course not a sporting choice: the Parisian became the fastest woman in the history of the Everest of the seas during the previous edition, with a boat without foils, and was preparing to back on track with Charlie Dalin’s old Apivia, this time with a performance objective.
Except that between 2020 and 2024, Clarisse Crémer gave birth to a child. A happy news that everyone hastened to applaud, is there more beautiful than the arrival of a baby in our sad lives, probably not. As for ensuring the competitor’s participation in the next Vendée Globe, on the other hand, there is a little less hustle and bustle at the gate. Enough to legitimately piss off the aggrieved sailor, who alternately lined up her sponsor and the organization on Instagram on Thursday.
New rules
What is the problem ? In the fall of 2021, SAEM Vendée, the organizing company of the Vendée Globe, reviewed its selection criteria for its next edition, in particular for security reasons. Having crossed the finish line of the previous edition is no longer enough to automatically qualify – but having a new boat does, go figure. Among the other notable rules, the establishment of a limited number of skippers within the fleet (40, including a wild card), requiring the establishment of a championship in order to decide between adventurers by summer 2024 (a bit of a joke, certain criteria, such as the integration of The Ocean Race into the championship, were supposed to be part of a process of “feminization of offshore racing”). “On this criterion, of course, I fell behind the other competitors at the start, explains Crémer, still no points on the clock and beyond 50th place. This maternity having prevented me from being present on the qualifying races for a year. »
Today Banque Populaire decides that this represents a risk for them that they ultimately do not want to run […] I am in shock […] For Banque Populaire it would be ”letting fate choose for them”, when they ”must” be at the start of the Vendée Globe [dont ils sont partenaires depuis 2022]. They are ready to assume the risk of a giant trimaran, and all the natural, technical and human hazards associated with offshore racing, but obviously not that of motherhood. »
Banque Populaire and the Vendée Globe play ping-pong
Faced with their responsibilities by the young woman, who has since taken refuge in the calm of the family cocoon, sheltered from media solicitations, the two camps were quick to draw, each returning the hot potato.
People’s Bank “Several solutions have been proposed by Team Banque Populaire to the organizer so that the regulations take into account the situation of women in the Vendée Globe and the question of maternity. All these proposals, as well as the requests for the allocation of a wildcard guarantee, have been rejected, including the one made a few days ago, and this is regrettable”.
Alain Leboeuf, boss of the race, at the microphone of RTL “The current regulations allow him to be at the start. That’s why I’m quite surprised by this somewhat hasty decision by the Banque Populaire. Clarisse can be selected without any difficulty, despite her pregnancy. She’s dumped by a sponsor, do not get the wrong target. “Nevertheless, it is still difficult to understand why the race refuses to award this damn wild card now to get out of the way.
Will Oudéa-Castéra save Crémer?
Banque Populaire did not wish to continue the escalation and “prefers to temporize”, according to our information. The dialogue with Clarisse Crémer is not completely broken, and the latter is not completely released. Better, she can count on Amélie Oudéa-Castera, aka Captain Marvel, who has already taken over the file. Remember that the Minister of Sports has just stuffed Le Graët and Laporte, it is certainly not a sand yacht racing director or bankers in suits who will scare her.
“I am in contact with the stakeholders who are all committed to finding a solution,” says AOC. Because everyone knows that Clarisse Crémer, the fastest woman in history on the Vendée Globe, deserves to be able to take the start on November 10, 2024. The fight so that our sportswomen can reconcile their motherhood and their career is one of my priorities. » In view of the epilogue of the FFF and FFR files, we would not be surprised to see a small wild-card end up falling into the sailor’s pocket.