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In our day-to-day, solitude can be something of a conscious decision, a precious moment to reflect and rediscover oneself. Some time alone can often be seen as a reinvigorating break from the busy chaos of the modern world, providing creativity and serenity. When tackling the Vendée Globe, however, solitude becomes a mandatory condition, a silent inescapable companion.
Sébastien Simon
When they find themselves in the middle of an ocean, far from any human contact, seafarers face a form of isolation that becomes something much greater than just an emotion, it becomes an experience, one that is both physical and mental. Isolation can:
• Strain a sailor’s focus and lucidity
• Aggravate moments of crisis, especially during storms or breakdowns
• Make every decision a psychological challenge, where doubt and fatigue can weigh as heavy as the surrounding waves
Antoine Cornic
Modern sailing, with its cutting-edge technology and incredible speeds, leaves little room for quiet moments. Sailors face challenges constantly, from extreme weather conditions to boat handling. Paradoxically, the very technology that connects them to the outside world makes solitude less “absolute”, but no less intense.
Manuel Cousin
Loneliness is more than just a condition, it is a true psychological test. When facing the harshest of moments, questions bubble up inside like "Who made me do this?", when the very fear of failing threatens to undermine the race across the oceans.
Those taking part in the Vendée Globe challenge tackle solitude through a combination of mental preparation, practical strategies and advanced technology.
Here are a few key methods:
1. Mental and Psychological Preparation
Many sailors work with sports psychologists to develop their resilience and the ability to cope with stress. Loneliness is always considered a crucial factor: dealing with it requires introspection and the ability to find comfort in one's own thoughts and actions.
2. Routine and Discipline
Time management is essential in order to not become overwhelmed. Sailors follow strict routines that include short sleep shifts, boat maintenance, meal preparation and constant monitoring of sailing conditions. Repetitive tasks help maintain a sense of normality.
3. The Impact of Natural Elements
Nature plays a central role: isolation in the South Seas, accompanied by the presence of albatrosses or tumultuous waves, offers a paradox of companionship colliding with the regions’ challenges. There are sailors who are able to find comfort in interactions with their surroundings, but the difficulties they face can quickly become a source of emotional tension.
4. Simulations and Pre-Regatta Training
Participants perform extensive training exercises in race-like conditions. These simulations not only hone technical skills, but also allow them to experience isolation, preparing the mind for long periods of solitude.
The Vendée Globe fleet is preparing to tackle the Antarctic, one of the most extreme and fascinating moments of the round-the-world race. At this crucial stage of the competition, the sailors must contend with a combination of glacial temperatures, furious storms and the constant threat of icebergs, the latter of which is minimal these days thanks to the continuous monitoring of the area. To mitigate risks, the organising committee has, in fact, established the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ), a virtual barrier that follows the northern boundary of iceberg-dominated waters. This boundary is constantly monitored using the latest technology, including satellite radar and predictive algorithms, to detect and track the movement of icebergs, thus ensuring the safety of our daring skippers.
Skippers are forced to keep a more northerly course than the AEZ, but this choice is not without its challenges. Sailing in more northerly latitudes can mean encountering:
Anticyclonic calms, slowing their progress to a halt.
Intense Australian depressions with extremely powerful winds and turbulent seas.
This portion of the route represents almost 60 per cent of the course around the world, offering one of the toughest but also most rewarding experiences for the sailors taking part.
In recent years, climate change has increased the risks: the breaking and calving of icebergs in Antarctica has intensified over recent years, bringing these ice blocks far into unusually low latitudes. This phenomenon has made the role of strategic planning and continuous safety monitoring even more crucial.
The dreaded South: an extraordinary moment for Sébastien Simon
Sébastien Simon, on his IMOCA Groupe Dubreuil, showed excellent form in the first part of 2024 Vendée Globe, taking second place in the provisional ranking during the most fearsome point of the entire course. Among his highlights was achieving a record of over 600 nautical miles covered in just 24 hours (615.33 Nm), achieved through favourable weather conditions with winds between 24 and 26 knots and moderate waves.
Resilience and Strategy in the South Seas
Despite his excellent results, Simon admitted to having to face exhausting nights where rest is limited. His physical and mental resilience is proving crucial to keep up his competitive spirit in a regatta that combines the peak of technical performance and tactical strategy. In the South Seas, the situation has become even more challenging, now that he - along with Charlie Dalin - has chosen to sail towards the southernmost point, entering the depression to sail close to the Antarctic exclusion zones in place to avoid icebergs, managing to pass through one of the most violent depressions, strong winds and frigid temperatures: on 6th December, "Seb" was struggling against 35-45 knot winds and 6 metre waves.
The combination of personal bests, tactical decisions and psychological resilience makes Sébastien Simon's race one of the most fascinating to watch. His ability to maintain his concentration and compete at the highest level in such extreme conditions underlines the unpredictability and attractiveness that define the great challenge that is the Vendée Globe. The breaking of his right foil on 8th December (in 2017 Alex Thomson finished the Vendée Globe with just one foil) is forcing him to sail at speeds 30 per cent slower than before, at least on port tack.
Yet, even after the foil broke, he is showing no signs of losing spirit, not even for a moment, making us realise just how fascinating this challenge truly is.
"What happened is the brutal poetry and the reality that is the Vendée Globe. A regatta where every moment is a battle: against the elements, against sleep and sometimes even against yourself. Living tilted at 20, 25, 30 degrees means being in a constant state of instability, with the ocean roaring and a boat that just wants to run but requires constant attention. The South Seas are those infinite spaces where everything seems amplified: the wind, the waves, the loneliness. But in this chaos there is also an indescribable magic, a sense of being in another world, far from the land and from any usual points of reference. To be here, en route to Australia on your own boat, is to embody the meaning of modern adventure.
Hold on tight. Eat, sleep, move bags, repeat. And above all, continue to enjoy every moment of this extraordinary experience. You are a sailor on the edge of the world, a captain at the helm of the impossible.
We are still holding on tight. There is a depression right behind us pushing us forward. This accelerates the competition behind us a bit, but we (Seb and the boat, ed.) are also accelerating as fast as we can. We can reach an average of 20 knots, which isn't bad. Imagine where we would be with our foils! The boat bangs a lot less, the swells are much less violent. However, the boat lifts a lot which makes the noise just as intense. I thought the noise came from the foils, but I have a feeling from the boat that it is coming from the rudders instead. This is something new. I think some things can be improved in the future.
In any case, perhaps this broken foil situation will, in time, become an advantage: maybe the boat will thank us because it is less stressed. That's how it is. You have to accept the situation and do the best you can, even when it isn’t easy. You hold on tight. Alè alè!"
Sebastien Simon 9th December
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