Samantha DAVIES INITIATIVES-COEUR

What if it was her ? Ever since Lady Ellen MacArthur’s fantastic second place in 2000-2001, no other woman has managed to get up on the Vendée Globe podium. Sam Davies is the only one to have brushed the exploit in 2008-2009, seizing fourth place thanks to her talent and considerable energy. Although her second Vendée Globe in 2012-2013 ended much too early with her dismasting, the British sailor continues to be among favorites as soon as she gets set for a race. Could 2020 be her edition ?

Aboard a boat with a strong record dating from 2010, the English yachtswoman is perfectly able to mingle in the struggle with the front-runners. And why not more if the ocean decided to shuffle the cards again, as it often does between two editions. Since 2012, Sam hasn’t stopped learning, entering the Volvo Ocean Race in an all-female crew, intensifying sailing on boats led by renowned skippers to fetch, almost systematically, a position on the podium.

Last year, Sam took command of the IMOCA60 Initiatives-Coeur following Tanguy de Lamotte, fitting in the project with surprising ease. Since her last Vendée Globe, Sam has also taken the time to bring up Ruben, the child she had with her companion, Romain Attanasio. She gave Romain the opportunity to compete in his first Vendée Globe in 2016-2017. He will also take the start of the next Vendée Globe ; a couple entering together for the first time in the race. If the adventure continues as a fairy tale, who knows if we might see, in a few editions, a Vendée Globe welcoming mother father and son in Port Olona ?