He battled 24,000 nautical miles, wrestled with his boat "Foresight Natural Energy" and harsh conditions, survived a fire on board and finally had to put up with a late mast break 700 nautical miles from the finish line and even went hungry at the end. A day and a half before crossing the finish line, Conrad Colman still had two biscuits left. But nothing could stop the New Zealander from reaching his goal. The Kiwi crossed the line at Ouessant after 110 days at sea under emergency rigging, but overjoyed. He is only the third person after Philippe Poupon and Yves Parlier to achieve this feat in the Vendée Globe. Colman received a correspondingly enthusiastic welcome in the finishing harbour of Les Sables d'Olonne. What his wife Clara, his fans and the public only learnt after his arrival also took their breath away. During his press conference, Colman revealed that he had gone overboard in the Southern Ocean.
He says himself that he went through hell at his Vendée premiere. But now Kiwi Colman has solid ground under his feet again and was given a rapturous welcome in Les Sales d'Olonne
The horror scenario had been brewing in the windy Southern Ocean. Colman was on the boom, working on the sail, when the lazy-jacks snapped and the boom smashed into the water. British TV journalist Matthew Sheahan quotes Colman as saying: "In a split second, the boom fell into the water. I didn't have time to grab anything and was dumped into the water. Luckily I was connected to the tree and was pulled behind it. I was too far away from the boat to get back on board. But eventually a wave washed me far enough to grab one of the railing supports. The annoying thing was that my belt was still clipped to the boom. So I still couldn't get on board. I had to get rid of the belt, cling to the railing support with one hand and try to climb back on board. Fortunately, I managed to do that."
During his race, Colman had repeatedly reported authentically, openly and honestly about the incidents at sea and his thoughts, winning the hearts of many fans. At the press conference in Les Sables d'Olonne, he continued his emotional dialogue about the regatta of his life. When asked why he had started with a "Voiles de Anges" logo on his boat, Colman explained that it was an organisation founded by a mother who had lost her child and wanted to help others who were struggling with the same fate. Colman, who lost his father in a boating accident as a child, also feels connected to the organisation because his own brother took his own life two years ago. His message: even in dark times, there is still something worth fighting for. The 33-year-old has now survived his dark days at sea. "There were a few of them out there," he says. But none could break the determination with which Colman completed his mission.
With a lot of willpower, Romain Attanasio was also able to finish the Vendée shortly before Colman with his "Famille Mary - Etamine du Lys". The husband of Sam Davies, who caused a furore in 2008/09 with fourth place in the Vendée Globe, crossed the finish line four hours ahead of Colman in 15th place. Broken equipment after a collision with an unknown object and a repair stop in Cape Town had cost him a better position. But Attanasio returned home happy and reconciled, where his Samantha and their son Ruben, born in 2011, were waiting for him. Attanasio achieved his big goal of finishing the Vendée Globe, even though he had hoped for a different outcome: "It wasn't the Vendée I had hoped for. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight for the win, but I thought there was a group I could fight with." With the "Ufo" collision in the first half of the Vendée, these hopes were dashed early on. At the end of his Vendée premiere, however, Attanasio put his wife in the spotlight and made the most beautiful declaration of love to his lady of the heart: "I think that Sam should really be back in 2020 so that she can become the first winner of this race. She was made for this race."
Two skippers are still on their way to the finish. Frenchman Sébastien Destremeau is expected to finish 18th and last in Les Sables d'Olonne between 6 and 10 March. Eleven of the 29 starters have been eliminated.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
