The sailor Alexia Barrier, 10th woman to finish a Vendée Globe, arrived safely last Sunday after 111 days at sea. On Europe 1 Sunday, she regretted that there were still "too few resources for women who want to offshore racing ”, even though it is one of the few sports where women can“ run against the boys ”. 

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On Sunday March 3, Alexia Barrier completed her round-the-world tour of the Vendée Globe in 111 days, aboard the one she affectionately calls the Penguin.

She thus became the tenth woman to achieve this feat, and the sixth to finish the 2021 race with six women at the start.

There had never been so many to set off in a Vendée Globe, which she said shows that there are still "too few resources", particularly financial, "to have a boat and a team" up to the task. capacity and talent "sailors, she explains Sunday on Europe 1.

Have financial means "at the height"

Clarisse Crémer was also on the starting line of the Vendée Globe.

She became the fastest sailor in the history of this race, completing her round-the-world race in 87 days, breaking Ellen MacArthur's record.

But for Alexia Barrier, it should have happened much sooner.

“Clarisse had a great race. Nevertheless, this record is 20 years old. It means that there have been a few Vendée Globe since Ellen MacArthur. And very little means, ultimately, for women who want to do offshore racing at the level of winning projects. That means having the financial means to have a boat up to the task and a team up to it. "

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"I hope that we will have at least as many girls in the next edition of the Vendée Globe, but above all the means to match our capacities and our talent to appear at the forefront", asks the sailor for whom they are. women do not yet have the place they deserve in this sport.

"But not just offshore racing," she adds, on the eve of International Women's Rights Day.

"Unfortunately, there is still a little work to do on the place of women in society." 

"Not a story of gender or physical strength"

Ocean racing is one of the rare mixed sports.

"We're very lucky, whether it's me or the other offshore racing girls. We find it pretty normal, actually, to be able to race against the boys. When we're at sea, we're sailors in the face of the elements. It's not a matter of gender or physical strength. We really have our place in this sport. That's pretty fantastic, "she admits.

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: Skippers Alexia Barrier and Clarisse Crémer tell about their Vendée Globe

Hence the need that we give them the means to be able to run on an equal footing with men, especially on the side of the sponsors.

"And not ask, as I happened to go to see sponsors," But how old are you?

But don't you think it would be better to stay home, to have kids? '

We still have thoughts like that.

It's incredible !". 

Alexia Barrier has therefore become the 10th woman to complete a Vendée Globe, moreover aboard a boat which is 22 years old: "I am absolutely delighted to have completed my first round the world trip with a boat at the top of the recycling cycle" she laughs.

"A lot of people thought that I won't finish this race with my old boat, so nothing is impossible."