The British sailor, Samantha Davies confirmed this weekend at the Paris Boat Show that she will be taking part in the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe. A leading figure in the last edition of the non-stop solo round the world race Sam Davies will be sailing aboard an IMOCA monohull in the colours of Savéol, Roland Jourdain’s former Veolia Environnement. Sam’s goal is to do better than last time and grab a place on the podium.
The hard work has paid off for Samantha Davies, who officially announced she will be taking part in the 2012-2013 edition of the non-stop solo round the world race. The British sailor was extremely pleased as she wishes to do even better than her performance in 2008-2009. Sam Davies: “Since the finish of the last Vendée Globe, I have had one thing on my mind – being at the start of the next.” Since that race, Sam has become a young mother and has been extremely busy looking for partners, taking part in the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre and the monohull Round Britain and Ireland record in the same year.
Savéol going from the Figaro to the Imoca class
Savéol, a company based in Brittany and France’s leading tomato producer is Samantha Davies’s new sponsor. After supporting Romain Attanasio – Sam’s partner in life – in the Figaro circuit, Savéol has taken a step forward in terms of sailing sponsorship. Around this headline partner, Sam’s project for the Vendée Globe also involves a group of partners bringing together other firms who also want to join in with this adventure.
The former Veolia Environnement
In this new ocean challenge, the British sailor will be able to count on a boat that has already shown her worth: the former Veolia Environnement aboard which Roland Jourdain won the 2006 Route du Rhum before taking part in the 2008-09 Vendée Globe. It was also aboard this boat, then in the colours of Neutrogena, that Boris Herrmann and Ryan Breymaier grabbed fifth place in the last Barcelona World Race, the double-handed race around the world. So clearly a reliable and efficient boat. Sam Davies: "Savéol will be faster than my old Roxy, but is bound to be slower than the latest generation of boats. I’m confident, as endurance is at least as important as sheer speed in a race that is as long as the Vendée Globe.”
Keenly supported by her fans in the 2008-09 race, everyone will be looking forward to seeing Sam back in Les Sables-d’Olonne and she will be hoping for a place on the podium. Fully focused on this big event, she hopes to be back on the water as soon as possible to be able to get to work fine-tuning her boat and to get out on the water train again at sailing solo.
