The candidates cannot have previously taken part in the Solitaire du Figaro. This challenge will enable the winner to make use of a Figaro Bénéteau 2 boat, and a budget to cover running costs, as well as receiving a thorough training programme to prepare for events in the French single-handed ocean racing championship.

Passport to top class racing

The winner of the Vendée Challenge will take the helm of a Figaro Bénéteau 2 in the colours of Vendée and will compete for two seasons (2011 and 2012) in the very competitive French single-handed ocean racing championship. By joining the Vendée France centre, they will gain support and be assisted both from a sporting perspective, as well as in terms of personal preparation and project management. This is an absolute necessity for anyone, who wishes to succeed, as Christian GOUT explains: “Whether we are looking at his training, or his medical monitoring, or his physical preparation, the management of his project or his communication strategy, skippers often find themselves alone and rather lost. So offering a training programme and a top class method to develop a career is absolutely vital.” It is of course the best possible preparation that the Vendée France centre intends to offer the future Vendée Skipper.

A thorough selection process

Before he wins his passport for top class racing, the winner will have had to pass a number of tests in the selection process. This is divided into three phases: a selection of eight skippers chosen after examination of their application forms will be invited to carry out a series of tests in front of a jury. Comprising representatives from the Centre, but also from the French sailing federation, this jury will judge the 8 contenders applying racing (sailing tests) and physical criteria (physical tests), but also will also carry out interviews with the candidates to try to identify the skippers’ personalities, motivations and find out how they see their personal project.

Vendée putting a training scheme in place

“By becoming one of the biggest racing events in the world, the Vendée Globe enabled Vendée to enter the legend of sailing. In its wake, it also meant that the ports in Vendée would become the place to host other major competitions. While the French department has certainly attracted top class sailing, we should not forget that amateur sailing with more than 7200 enthusiasts spread out over 33 clubs, has not been forgotten. Faced with this huge potential, the absence, with a few notable exceptions of top class sportsmen in the area is all the more astonishing. That explains why we came up with the idea of setting up the Vendée France training centre with the idea of training someone, who maybe one day will be a future winner of the Vendée Globe…” That is how Marietta TRICHET, president of the local authority, summed up why it was so logical to set up the Vendée France training centre.