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Sailing: "In shock", Clarisse Crémer deprived of Vendée Globe after her maternity

2023-02-02T21:30:50.166Z


Amélie Oudéa-Castéra believes that "the regulations must imperatively change to allow sailors to live their motherhood peacefully" while Clarisse Crémer is disembarked by Banque Populaire.


I am in shock

”: the navigator Clarisse Crémer will not be at the start of the next Vendée Globe at the helm of the “Banque populaire”.

The group disembarked her, believing that she was unable to qualify for the race after her maternity and a change in regulations.

I learned last Friday that Banque Populaire had finally decided to replace me.

By their decision, and despite my constant will, I will not be at the start of the Vendée Globe 2024

,” the 33-year-old sailor announced on her social networks on Thursday.

Becoming a mother at the end of last year, Clarisse Crémer symbolically recovered in December from the hands of Norman Charlie Dalin the helm of the former Apivia, Imoca with foils that she hoped to take around the world under the colors of “Banque Pop”.

The sailboat has since returned to the group's stable in Lorient, but Crémer, 12th in the last edition of Everest des Mers, will not board.

"

Banque Populaire decides to leave me at the dock

," she lamented.

Qualification

In a press release, Banque Populaire invoked changes to the Vendée Globe regulations to justify its decision.

In the past, a “finisher” (sailor who finished the event) was automatically qualified for the next edition.

But this process has changed in 2021. Skippers who do not have a new boat now all have the obligation to take part in a certain number of qualifying races until the start of the Vendée and to accumulate the miles there to decide between them.

On this criterion, of course, I fell behind the other competitors at the start, this maternity having prevented me from being present in the qualifying races for a year

”, admitted Crémer.

We are at 0 mile and those ahead of us have at least 2,600 miles (4,100 km) and intend to do the same races as us … We will never catch up with them

”, estimated for his part during a press briefing on Thursday Ronan Lucas, director of Team Banque Populaire.

The team assured that it had done "

everything possible

" with the organizers to change the rules or "

obtain the guarantee of a wildcard

", without success.

The name of the next Banque Populaire XII helmsman will be announced “

in the coming days.

".

Read alsoAmerica's Cup: an ambitious French challenge for 2024

"

There were 2 full seasons and 4 transatlantic races left to get back to the level, I was fully to finish my rehabilitation as soon as possible

", regretted Clarisse Crémer, who holds the Vendée crossing record for a woman in 87 days, 2 hours and 24 minutes.

"

Today, it is clear that the rules chosen by the Vendée Globe prohibit a woman from having a child

," she added.

In a press release sent to the media on Thursday evening, the Vendée Globe organization declared that it could "

under no circumstances afford to change the rules, while the selection process (is) already underway

", in order to "

preserve equity

" between competitors.

The organizers ruled out the possibility of issuing him now the only wildcard provided for by the regulations.

"

This cannot be marked before the end of the selection process, the Vendée Globe not knowing the skippers who could claim it

", it is specified.

For 2024, Clarisse's chances are not extinguished.

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister of Sports

No woman should have to go through this kind of decision.

When will there be a system that can allow women to find their place (...) after a maternity break

, ”reacted to AFP Camille Lecointre, double bronze medalist in Olympic sailing.

Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra explained on her Twitter account that she had "discussed

with Alain Leboeuf (Vendée Globe president, editor's note), who recognizes that the rules of the race must imperatively evolve to allow sailors to live their motherhood serenely

" .

For 2024, Clarisse's chances are not extinguished.

I am in contact with the stakeholders who are all committed to finding a solution

,” she said.

The tenth edition of the Vendée Globe will set off from Les Sables d'Olonne on November 10, 2024. During the 2020/2021 edition, of the 33 competitors at the start, six were women.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2023-02-02

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