Vendée Arctique: A “Mini Vendée Globe”!

Forever the pioneer. Just over a week ago, on Thursday 11 June, Sam Goodchild became the first of the nine Vendée Arctique skippers to cross the Arctic Circle. After rounding the turning point and setting course back towards Les Sables d’Olonne, the MACIF Santé Prévoyance skipper took time to reflect on the conditions encountered during the race. “I feel a bit like I’m living through a condensed mini-Vendée Globe,” he said at the time.

The Franco-British sailor explained that the race shares many of the characteristics of a round-the-world voyage, citing “the constantly changing conditions, the cold water, the relentless dampness, and those moments when you have to slow down to look after the boat.” That intensity, driven by the conditions encountered, was something every competitor experienced. One morning, Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner) summed it up perfectly: “Right now, it feels like I’m in a spin cycle at 1,400 rpm. It’s not necessarily very pleasant, but it’s incredibly effective!” A few days later, back on the dock after securing fourth place, the skipper confirmed that impression.

Up There, “Something of the Southern Ocean”

Of the nine skippers on the Vendée Arctique start line, only four had previous round-the-world racing experience. Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), Violette Dorange (Initiatives-Cœur), Arnaud Boissières (April Marine – seeking co-partner) and Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce) are all Vendée Globe finishers.

Both Arnaud Boissières and Manu Cousin drew comparisons between the conditions encountered in the far north during the Vendée Arctique and those of the Southern Ocean.

“There are definitely atmospheres that remind you of the Southern Seas,” Arnaud Boissières explained last Saturday. “The light is very distinctive, the weather changes constantly, and the humidity is everywhere.” For his part, Manu Cousin spoke of “something of the Southern Ocean”, describing a “very particular atmosphere”.

After crossing the finish line, Violette Dorange also said she felt “almost as if I’d completed a small round-the-world voyage.” “So much happened out there. We went through several storms and it was incredibly intense,” she said on the dock. During the race itself, she had expressed much the same feeling:

“What strikes me is just how fascinating this race is. I brought podcasts and a book with me, but I haven’t listened to a single one and I haven’t even opened the book. Between the manoeuvres, the strategy and managing the boat, I’m busy all the time. And it’s absolutely captivating.”
 

That intensity, driven by the conditions encountered throughout the race, was something every skipper experienced. One morning, Élodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner) summed it up with a smile: “Right now, it feels like I’m in a washing machine on a 1,400 rpm spin cycle. It’s not necessarily very pleasant, but it’s incredibly effective!” A few days later, back on the dock after finishing fourth, the French skipper confirmed that assessment:

“It brings us a little closer to our Vendée Globe dream”

This Vendée Arctique offered the perfect opportunity to test oneself solo in harsh conditions. “It was, in a way, our full-scale dress rehearsal,” noted Manu Cousin. Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) — who had never spent more than a week alone at sea — also described it as “a very important step” in her IMOCA development. Violette Dorange and Élodie Bonafous both said they “learned an enormous amount”.

For the skippers, these relentless days at sea battling the elements will prove invaluable as they look ahead. And they all share the same horizon: the start of the next Vendée Globe in November 2028.“Of course, taking part in the Vendée Arctique brings us a little closer to our Vendée Globe dream,” said Nico d’Estais (Café Joyeux). “It’s a valuable milestone on the way to the round-the-world race,” echoed Francesca Clapcich.

Élodie Bonafous also believes it strongly: “In my preparation for the round-the-world race, the Vendée Arctique will count.” An experience that will remain in the sailors’ memories — and one that will prove essential in just over a year and a half, when they take on the most extreme conditions around the globe.