Yannick Bestaven crowned winner of the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe
Yannick Bestaven, a 48-year-old Rochelais, arrived in Les Sables-d'Olonne on January 28, 2021. He won the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe.
AFP - JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
Fifth, then third then first in the space of a few hours, Yannick Bestaven had a suspenseful end to the race to win the Vendée Globe 2020, Thursday in the dark night of Sables-d'Olonne, after 80 days at sea.
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The ninth edition of the single-handed round the world race took place in the very last hours, in an unprecedented scenario, which was furthermore split with a last-minute twist.
It all started at 8:35 p.m. on Wednesday when Charlie Dalin (Apivia) was the first to cross the finish line off Sables-d'Olonne, surrounded by an armada of boats that sparkled red, green and blue.
The 36-year-old Norman sailor, who occupied the top of the ranking for more than 60% of the course aboard his latest generation flying boat, has not yet been named the winner of the Vendée Globe 2020.
For that, he had to wait until two other competitors, the German Boris Herrmann (SeaExplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco), then third, and Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq IV), fifth, also cut the line.
In fact, these two skippers had time compensation in their pockets for helping to rescue a wrecked competitor,
Kevin Escoffier
, on November 30.
These bonuses, six hours for Herrmann and ten hours and fifteen minutes for Bestaven, could only be taken into account once the line had been crossed.
What to bring the suspense to its height when the first five of the fleet are held in a pocket handkerchief.
A trying wait.
A victory despite some damage
Barely half an hour after Dalin arrived, Herrmann, who could hang on to the victory, collided with a fishing boat, 160 kilometers from the line.
It was over for the German navigator, who will end his journey in slow motion, for an arrival scheduled between 10h and 11h Thursday morning, leaving the field open to Bestaven.
Yannick Bestaven, a 48-year-old Rochelais, who was already spinning very quickly, redoubled his power.
In particularly rough seas, he completed his round-the-world trip about eight hours after Dalin, which does not exceed his bonus.
Bestaven can therefore claim victory.
Having taken the lead at Cape Horn, the Rochelais had then suffered several damage in the ascent of the Atlantic, but his pugnacity and his sense of the race allowed him to write the best line of his record.
Arrived a little before dawn in the Sables-D'Olonne channel, Yannick Bestaven is escorted by the fog horns and the cheers of a crowd gathered at the windows of the buildings, failing the public whose presence has been prohibited in due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yannick Bestaven had, says
our special correspondent in Sables-d'Olonne,
Thomas de Saint-Léger
, the smile in his ears and the face of someone who does not believe in it.
His first words: "
I'm hallucinating, I'm in a dream
", are not overplayed.
Bestaven still looked a long way from this victory a few days ago.
He also takes a nice revenge on the most prestigious of ocean races: his only participation until then, 12 years ago, had ended in an early retirement.
Yannick Bestaven had a very good race even if he was not rewarded by the weather
Kevin Escoffier on Yannick Bestaven's victory
The arrival of the other skippers
Four hours after Dalin, Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2) also finished his journey, in second position to be classified third in the end.
Thomas Rouillard (LinkedOut) came in fourth just before 6 a.m.
Later, between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, Damien Seguin (Groupe Apicil), the first disabled sailor to do the Vendée Globe, should make his debut in Les Sables-d'Olonne.
But he could be overtaken after the fact in the standings by Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!).
The sixty-year-old is the one who managed to save Escoffier in dire sea conditions and for that, he benefited from sixteen hours and fifteen minutes of compensation.
He should arrive as a hero on Thursday evening.
It would therefore be eight boats arrived in one day, unprecedented.
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To read: Vendée Globe, ultra-connected sailors
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