After the Solitaire du Figaro, the Vendée Globe? While two sailors were disqualified last summer for having searched for weather information via their phone, which is strictly prohibited on the Solitaire, two media, Le Télégramme and L’Équipe affirmed this Tuesday morning that “suspicions of cheating” surround the latest edition of the Vendée Globe (2020-2021), the non-stop and unassisted world tour.
“Did two skippers – one at sea, one on land – cheat together during the last Vendée Globe? » asks our colleague Stéfan L’Hermitte from L’Équipe, publishing exchanges of messages which leave little room for doubts. “Is this routing likely for you? If so, it’s not horrible for you. I think you need to analyze the situation a little more before putting yourself on alert,” says the sailor on land. “It’s just that I’m a bit on edge with the fear of breaking by the end,” replies the racing skipper.
If on the Solitaire, during a stage which lasts three or four days, the sailors have absolutely no right to search for the slightest meteorological information, on the Vendée Globe, the navigators of the monohulls can download weather files to decide on their way, but alone. No assistance, or even exchange, is authorized with anyone on land on the subject. What the Arkéa Ultim Challenge, on the other hand, allows, a specificity traditionally granted to trimaran navigators.
“The two people incriminated, who are involved in the next Vendée Globe, did not respond to our calls,” concludes L’Équipe, while Le Télégramme announces that the French Sailing Federation has opened an investigation.
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