Journal of Clarisse Kremer. “I’m never alone on my ship because I see everyone’s work”

At 9:35. A midnight blue sailboat with gold lettering “L’Occitane en Provence” pulls away from the starting pontoon moments after its mate, Captain Tanguy le Tourquay, blows a last kiss from Clarisse Kremer. With a confident step, the sailor, wearing yellow Crocs, arrives in front of the ship to enjoy a unique experience: departure with the audience During his first “Vendée Globe”. the detention had effectively left the audience in front of the TV or at the windows overlooking the harbor, for this release hundreds of thousands of people gather along the channel that the sailboat takes to reach the starting line are cheers and shouts of joy. Little girls scream, students in disguise mingle with pensioners already sipping rosé on the deck of their little boat.

Behind him, on the boat, his British friend Alex Thomson watches as he feels this outpouring of love with palpable emotion.In the belly of the beast, we are busy, about ten people checking the last details. The team leaves the ship five minutes before departure, which is scheduled for 1:02 p.m. From then on, he is alone, already at sea, to face the race.

Ropes and fresh carrots

Alone? Not really. When we visit Clarisse Crémer’s ship, what is fascinating, beyond the narrowness of the places and the challenges we can already guess, is the “warmth” of the details: fresh carrots, cold meat, and three bottles of soda is there to make the transition between the clay kitchen and the freeze-dried foods that await the sailor, Clarisse, her partner, her dog, and her daughter. Matilda’s photos were hung everywhere by Lena, her sister, who would take care of the child in her parents’ absence. The ropes were made by one, the engine was oiled by another, some writings match above the on-board computer. The navigator continues to accompany.

Confidence is important for a champion. “I’m never alone on my ship because I see everyone’s work,” he explained yesterday at a farewell conference offered by his sponsor L’Occitane. Before setting sail, the young sailor, who has 90,000 followers on Instagram and the comic strip I’m going but I’m afraid Released by Delcourt in January 2024, attracted many readers and wanted to anchor his place in the collective. Around him on stage, about twenty people in L’Occitane uniforms, whose names and nicknames he knows, were more used to sailor knots than the spotlight.

Convergence of forces

In the introduction, navigator Alex Thomson (his racing partner in the Jacques Vabre Transatlantic Race) and Emma Kettle, director of the L’Occitane team, as well as sponsors Adrienne Geiger (CEO of the Occitane Group) and Mireille Kliting (partner at Rothschild & Co). ) recall their shared belief that Clarice Kremer absolutely had to start The 10th Vendée Globe, despite abandoning its previous sponsor, was made possible by a convergence of forces, a combination of urgency, hence the mantra:Race for ownership” (race for ownership), which today floats on the sail of a boat. According to Emma Kettle, this collective energy, fueled by absolute faith in the navigator, also gave Clarisse complete freedom to deal with anger and a certain loss of trust in humans. “Sometimes we just need a good helping,” smiles Clarisse Kremer in confirmation.

A few minutes after the start, on the shores of Les Sables-d’Olonne, a line of magnificent sails slowly crossed the starting line. Racing cars calibrated for the Roaring Forties; and with only 4 knots of wind blowing yet the L’Occitane black looks ready to take off.You’ll have to wait a few days to see Clarisse “fly” and leave When we catch up with him again in a few weeks, it’s a safe bet that Aeolian will be forgiven.