Back into the swing of things for Clarisse and L'Occitane en Provence.

After a summer break which was as relaxing as it was sporting, last week Clarisse Crémer returned to Gosport, England, to relaunch her IMOCA L'Occitane en Provence. This return to the water, means that the Vendée Globe is just around the corner, with the start on 10 November.

Following a month in the mountains the call of the open ocean is now firmly here for Clarisse.   After the re-launch of her boat in early September, she was back in Gosport last week with her team for the first commissioning sail and has therefore made her return to the sea. This final period of boat work included a full check-up, repairs, structural reinforcement and optimisation, the team are now in the home stretch of preparations, with the start of her second Vendée Globe just over a month and a half away. 

Recharged and (nearly) ready

“This summer, I combined rest and physical activity, hiking in the Alps with my family,” Clarisse explains. “It was my last opportunity to take a break before the Vendée, and it was my first real break since the birth of my daughter. I came back refreshed and ready to begin my final phase of preparation for the Vendée Globe.” And what a phase! After four transatlantic races in eight months, three of which were single-handed, the IMOCA L'Occitane underwent a final refit this summer. “In previous refits we prioritised certain jobs, telling ourselves we'd look at them later, for the Vendée Globe. Now we're there, we're not letting anything go by.”

A final, ‘very demanding’ refit, was the priority with a focus on reliability as well as onboard ergonomics, validated by Clarisse during her last few races. The rigging, electronics and all the onboard equipment were also checked and put into ‘round the world configuration’ before the final sea trials.

Gosport, Lorient, Paris... and soon Les Sables!

“We still have a few things to check, and as much training as possible to do, so that the woman-boat duo is ready on the big day. “I'm approaching this period calmly, as my qualification has taken a certain amount of weight off my shoulders, which means I can get on with a busy recovery, with a lot of travelling and demands on my time. But we're so close to our goal now that there aren't many questions left to ask! We've got a job list, a set number of days: it's up to us to get the job done!”

Between Gosport and Lorient, via Paris for the Vendée Globe press conference on Thursday 19th September, between meetings and sailing with her partners, interviews with the media, sporting, mental and weather preparation, daytime and offshore training sessions - in short, ‘routine’ - Clarisse's schedule is packed between now and the start in Les Sables d'Olonne!