Vendée Globe

Race Director, Race Committee, Jury, Medical Commission… The Vendée Globe organisers are ready for the start of the sixth Vendée Globe.

Race Director for the first edition in 1989-90, Denis Horeau has been back in the hot seat since the 2004-2005 edition. Preparing the race, registrations, qualifications, relations with the competitors… The race directors are complemented by two safety advisers, Alain Gautier and the Australian, David Adams. Safety at sea, monitoring the boats, establishing and maintaining the means of communication and this year a new ice watch system with the European Space Agency are among the responsibilities of the race directors. They work alongside the International Jury in order to ensure the race is fair by constantly tracking the boats and ensuring tthat each pass through the eight safety gates (two more than in 2004). 

Chaired by Bernard Bonneau, the International Jury includes two Frenchmen, one Englishman, a Spaniard and a Belgian. In association with the race directors, they study the texts before the race, such as the Notice of Race and the race instructions and settle any disagreements before the start. During the race, the Jury can answer competitors' queries about interpreting the rules, award penalties if they have been broken, or compensate in time a sailor, who has come to the assistance of another. 

Since the first edition in 1989, Sylvie Viant has been in charge of the start and finish procedures of all the Vendée Globes. President of the Race Committee, with her team, she draws up the Race Instructions, supervises the measurers before the start and will be launching the start procedures on Sunday at 12h54… before welcoming the competitors home in three months. 

Like Sylvie Viant, Doctor Jean-Yves Chauve has been with the Vendée Globe since 1989. The operation when Bertrand de Broc stitched his tongue back together in 1992 revealed just how effective Dr. Chauve's telemedicine can be. leading a group of experts made up of doctors and professors, he can disqualify a competitor from taking part on medical grounds. This has happened on two occasions in the past, in 1996 and in 2000, for one candidate undergoing anti-clotting treatment and another suffering from diabetes.

LLB

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