Clarisse Crémer's participation in the Vendée Globe 2024 seems realistic again. Last week, the 33-year-old Frenchwoman emotionally announced the end of her collaboration with her sponsor Banque Populaire. The French financial institution also published a statement and announced that it would be looking for a new skipper for the upcoming Vendée Globe. The reasons for the cancellation were Crémer's pregnancy and the associated consequences.
Due to her pregnancy last year, the sailor had not collected enough nautical miles to have realistic prospects of qualifying for the Vendeé Globe 2024. Crémer contradicted this in her statement and instead firmly believes that she can make it.
The reason for the dispute is a rule change by the organisers of the Vendeé Globe. Until the 2020 edition, it had been enough to complete the regatta to qualify for the next edition. Clarisse Crémer even managed this in 2020 as the best woman. For 2024, however, everyone must now collect nautical miles, regardless of whether a Vendée Globe has already been completed. This qualification is completed at selected regattas in the Imoca class.
Qualifying for the Vendée Globe 2024
The regulations state:"Each Imoca/Skipper pair must compete in at least two qualifying races (one in 2022 or 2023 and one in 2024). At least one of these must also be completed."
These regattas count as qualifying races:
- Vendée Arctique - Les Sables-d'Olonne 2022
- Route du Rhum 2022
- Transat Jacques Vabre 2023
- Transat CIC 2024
- New York - Vendée 2024
What is important here is the pairing of boat and sailor as a unit for the qualification. This is because Crémer has sailed on a borrowed Imoca so far and was only given her potential boat for the Vendée Globe in December with the former "Apivia". This would also apply to the potential new skipper, because apart from ex-"Apivia" owner Charlie Dalin and "Biotherm" skipper Paul Meilhat (as Dalin's co-sailor), nobody has completed any countable races with this Imoca. However, due to their own new builds and campaigns, neither of them can be considered as a replacement for Banque Populaire's ex-"Apivia". So would the chances of qualification for a new skipper be the same as for Clarisse Crémer?
Sponsor saw Clarisse Crémer at a disadvantage due to special rule
Not quite, because there is a catch. The organiser has limited the number of participants to 40, but demand is expected to be higher and the hurdle of two qualifying regattas is not too high. A ranking list will therefore be drawn up to solve this problem. The ranking will be based on nautical miles accumulated during the qualification period. If more than 40 skippers have gained a starting licence via the qualifying regattas, those with the most nautical miles will be given priority.
However, different rules apply for these nautical miles than for the basic qualification explained above. For example, a larger number of regattas are taken into account than those listed above. In addition, nautical miles sailed double-handed or with a crew are also counted (factor 0.5 or 0.25), and only the skipper is taken into account. The skipper must have sailed with an Imoca, but it doesn't matter which one. The skipper/imoca pair rule does not apply here.
This aspect will have contributed significantly to the sponsor's decision. While Crémer does not have a single mile to his name so far, it would now be possible to bring a skipper on board who has already collected qualifying miles on other boats. This skipper would then have to compete in the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre and at least one of the two 2024 competitions on Banque Populaire's new Imoca (ex-"Apivia").
Nico Lunven, who is currently sailing the Ocean Race with Team Malizia, would already be a candidate. Among other things, Lunven sailed the old Banque Populaire across the world's oceans in 2022 instead of Crémer.
Rule change had been known since October 2021
The reaction of the Vendée Globe organiser was just as controversial as the sponsor's decision. The organiser had always rejected the requests from Banque Populaire and thus prevented a special arrangement or the awarding of the wild card. In her statement, Crémer therefore expressed her disappointment not only with her sponsor, but also with the organisers. She is targeting both the establishment of the new qualification criteria and their inaction in the current situation. One day after the announcement of the cancellation, the organisers also made their position public:"To preserve the fairness of all candidates for the next Vendée Globe, the race organisation cannot under any circumstances allow itself to change the rules once the selection process has begun."
The new qualification rules were published in October 2021, well before Crémer's pregnancy - her child was born in November 2022.
Both the media response and the reactions within the class were huge. The tenor was that the new rules put women at a disadvantage. Almost all the big names in ocean sailing had their say. Other female sailors in the Imoca class such as Isabelle Joschke, Pip Hare and Sam Davies were particularly appalled. The latter emphasised:"I will do everything I can to support female sailors in the Imoca class and at the Vendée Globe. I want to convince sponsors that there is no reason not to support women in sailing."
According to insider reports, it now seems likely that the class will row back despite its previous statement. This is because both the image of Banque Populaire and the Vendée Globe suffered as a result of the events.
Will Clarisse Crémer compete in the Vendée Globe 2024?
According to the organisers, Crémer could not be guaranteed the wild card, which goes to an unqualified sailor, at this stage. However, this door was not completely closed either:"The wild card is a possibility that has been discussed with Team Banque Populaire and Clarisse Crémer. This can only be decided at the end of the selection process, as the Vendée Globe does not know which skippers might be eligible."
It is not yet clear how the sailor and her sponsor will deal with this; there is silence on all channels. However, Banque Populaire is said to be endeavouring to get Clarisse Crémer back on board. However, she clearly distanced herself from her sponsor last week: "I am determined to sail again, under the colours of a trustworthy partner whose human convictions I share."
