Skippers : Anne Liardet - Vendée Globe

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Anne Liardet

Nationality : French
Lives in Daoulas
Age : born on the 16th April 1961
Situation : 3 children
Vendée Globe achievements
First time she has competed in the Vendée Globe
Web Site
http://www.roxy.com/anneliardet

Sponsor

Presentation

A sensitive young woman

When she left school, Anne Liardet started work for a sailmaker, and within two years, she had entered the world of ocean racing and the preparation of boats. She was then to race aboard her own boats. In 1985, she finished tenth in the Mini Transat (first woman to finish) and two years later, she finished tenth in the Figaro Single-handed event. The following year, she fell pregnant with her first child, but that did not stop her setting out on an attempt at the New York-San Francisco via Cape Horn record. In 1990, she took part in the Rum Race aboard the multihull "CTL" (ex-Three Legs of Man) while she was expecting her second child. From then on, after drifting around for five years, Anne decided to give her time over to her children, Morgan, Margot and Manon, and gave them priority. By hanging up her waterproofs, she was putting an end to her dreams of sailing around the world and went back to work at the Voiles Océans sailmakers in Brest, before taking up teaching. Having qualified as a secondary school teacher, she was waiting for an appointment. Then, one day, in Moulin Blanc Harbour in Brest, she met Catherine Chabaud, Loïc Etevenard at all of de Kersauson’s team. Of course, this little group soon were busy chatting about boats, and everything suddenly changed, and without further ado, she called up the teacher training board to tell them to give the job to someone else.

Monnet’s helping hand
She once again started to dream about a single-handed circumnavigation, but had neither boat nor sponsor. She spent the summer of 2003 in Lorient and found herself on the deck of Philippe Monnet’s monohull, which he had used to sail around the world « backwards ». "So, it seems you want to take part in the Vendée Globe? » said Monnet – «Yes, but in what boat and with which sponsor? », she replied. – «In what boat? What about the one you’re standing on now?" She quickly understood that Monnet had just given her a helping hand. The handover, however, was not that easy. "It was in Salvador de Bahia. The monohull had just taken part in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Mike Birch and his son. Charles Hedrich was supposed to take over, but he changed his mind. I was asked to go and take part in the Atlantic Challenge, the qualifying race for the Vendée Globe. It was all just a little crazy, but I found someone to look after the kids, and I arrived in Brazil three days later to set sail two days after that."

"She really wants a clean race"
If all of that seemed like a commando raid, it was above all a unique opportunity to qualify very early for the Vendée Globe. However, on the water, Anne was really not that at ease. She had not yet found her footing. Nevertheless, she finished in ninth place in La Rochelle, and won the golden key." I know I shan’t win the Vendée Globe, but I’d like to have a clean race in this boat, which has become my close friend."

Achievements

2004 - The Transat aboard Quicksilver : 12th
2003 - Atlantic Challenge: 9th
1994 - Formule 18 with Yves Pajot and the Round France Race
1990 - Rum Race on CTL
1988 - Preparation and an attempt at the New York-San Francisco via Cape Horn record on Finistère Bretagne
1987 - 100 Miles in Concarneau on Normerel : 2nd
Half Ton Cup La Rochelle on Normerel : 9th
Figaro single-handed event on Normerel : 10th
Winner of the La Baule-Dakar pairs trophy on Normerel
1986 - Mini Fastnet on Piz Buin : 4th
Figaro single-handed event on Piz Buin (1st in her class) : 24th
1985 - Mini Transat pairs with B Audrezet : 1st
Mini Transat : 10th
1984 - Route de la Découverte (Discoverers’ Race) (in a crew) on Marie Brizard : 4th
1983 - Brest-Bermuda-Brest on Pen Duick VI