Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe – Week 4
by L’Occitane Sailing Team 6 Dec 07:18 PST
6 December 2024
Clarisse Crémer in the Vendée Globe – Week 4 © Clarisse Crémer / L’Occitane Sailing Team
In almost mild conditions, the Indian Ocean proved troublesome for Clarisse Crémer.
As the details revealed the challenges, it was a treacherous Indian Ocean that dealt the skipper of L’Occitane en Provence its cruelest blows: technical issues, sleep deprivation, unpredictable weather, and an uncertain timetable. Was that enough to test her resolve and morale? Not at all! Clarisse remains on the offense and is close to catching her first southern low, which may finally let her sail smoothly!
When the Indian Ocean toys with you
Don’t be deceived by its stunning hues and magnificent skies, or the warm greeting from the albatrosses: the allure of the Indian Ocean, built up by a long wait, can sometimes prove misleading upon entry. Because even in relatively calm conditions, without having to face intense storms, the “sailors’ hell” lives up to its name.
This has been Clarisse Crémer’s experience since she rounded the Cape of Good Hope on Monday, December 2, at 17h16’56”, followed by the Agulhas Cape a few hours after, marking her entry into this second ocean after 22 days 5 hours 14 minutes and 56 seconds racing down the Atlantic, exceeding her past performance by over 3 days. However, this year, there were no depressions to face as they crossed the South African longitude. For the small pack of competitors vying for a Top 10 spot, entering the Indian Ocean was almost seamless. Clarisse had to exercise patience, waiting in zones with highly unstable winds, increasingly disrupted by the Agulhas current right on her path. These conditions were a significant drain on morale, as she watched her competitors pull away while remaining vigilant for any wind shifts. Coupled with a very rough sea, resting became an increasingly intricate task, revealing the cunning nature of the Indian Ocean, which has plenty of tricks to unsettle sailors.
“Okay, I’m in the Indian Ocean, and we’ve been welcomed! Just like I remembered, I even spotted an albatross! It wasn’t too violent, but the seas were choppy, and the unpredictable wind hindered my ability to maintain good average speeds. This Indian Ocean is certainly not like in the tales where you just take a front and sail straight through!”
Keeping focused and anticipating the front
Stricken yet undeterred, Clarisse holds firm and won’t give up on her competitors, resolved to stay with her group and avoid letting those behind catch up. Fatigue and technical issues emerging after almost a month at sea, including a minor electrical malfunction and regular wear and tear, won’t change her determination. The support failure on her starboard foil jack, just as she was ready to speed up, now prevents her from adjusting its angle as desired. As of Friday, Clarisse is in 12th position, still moving at speed that defies logic. “I’d love to stay with my group; I know they are closing in from behind, yet I continue to fight and do what I must! I experience moments of fatigue, but overall, I feel good; I know myself better now and manage myself effectively. I strive to remain calm amidst the instability, even though it tests my morale and hampers rest in these shifting winds, but I project myself forward whenever conditions balance a bit more.”
While the Indian Ocean “isn’t ideal for record-breaking crossings”, Clarisse keeps her personal ambitions in sight and is pleased to have struck a balance between performance and safety as she plunges deeper into the ocean. “It might be a bit uncomfortable when the low-pressure system pursuing us passes overhead near the ice zone, but it shouldn’t be too severe, and we won’t have to play it too safe either,” she clarifies, committed to a southerly course where temperatures are beginning to drop.
When magic is located precisely where you seek it
It’s the perfect moment to refuel, grapefruit in hand, her body refreshed after “two substantial hour-and-a-half naps”, well-prepared to withstand the southern conditions. She’s savoring the poetic moment as she steers toward the Crozet Islands and Île aux Cochons (Pig Island), which she might glimpse in the evening light, accompanied by a roosting group of albatrosses, their noticeable foreheads creating a unique character: “I absolutely adore the unique head of the albatross. They have a kind of prominent forehead (or perhaps an eyebrow?) that gives them a judgmental appearance. It’s an awkward gaze, and, forgive me for anthropomorphism, but their presence feels like passing someone in the street. Like an old acquaintance whose face you can’t quite place, hoping they’ll initiate contact if they recognize you. I’m unsure if I’ve known this albatross before (who knows? How long do albatrosses live, anyway? Do they partake in several Vendée Globes?), but we exchanged amused glances for a few moments; at least he did, as I believe my eyes shimmered with moisture… and yes, it might be cliché, but albatrosses invariably move me.”
When the courage to maneuver on deck is rewarded with breathtaking spectacles. You can rely on Clarisse to continue finding joy in the beauty surrounding her!
