VENDÉE GLOBE RACE FINISH AND ST MALO SKIPPER LOUIS BURTON

I have been following the yacht race which started 3 months ago out of the west coast of France: the Vendée Globe Circumnavigation.

The yachts are starting to arrive back to Les Sables-d'Olonne. This photo shows approach to the  channel where they will cross La Ligne d'Arrivée (Finish Line) after 80+ days at sea.

Clarissa Clarement heading for the white buildings in the distance

[photo is by Olivier Blanchet/Alea]

There are fine stories of heroism, endurance, skill, good seamanship and sportsmanship.

Over and above this, several things struck me:

[1] there is definitely a strong sense of Liberty (the freedom of being on the world's oceans and the freedom to undertake a huge advernture); Equality (both men and women skippers); Fraternity (ranging from a rescue at sea of one skipper whose boat broke and sank, through to the fact that they have all got this experience in common e.g. they are all now Cap-Hornier (Cape Horners) sailors.

[2] some of them are from the Brittany coast.  Knowing my Canadian history I recall that many of their predecessors from this part of Brittany headed out for the fishing off the coast of North America. One man is particular in the mid 1500s was sent by the King of France to search for a sea route to Asia and gather riches to bring back to France.

 

This is Jacque Cartier* who came from St Malo. 

I noticed that one of the Vendée Globe competitors, Louis Burton, who has recently arrived back is also from St Malo having sailed a "smart, strategic race".

This photo of Louis Burton is a screenshot I took from the press conference** video held when he finally stepped ashore.  I reversed the image and was amazed at the resemblance to the above painting!  I suppose no one really knows what Cartier looked like but I couldn't help noticing that their countenances have a remarkable similarity!

 

Louis Burton - compare this photo with the one of Jacques Cartier above! 

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* As every schoolchild in Canada (and Brittany?) knows Cartier was 'The Discoverer of Canada' i.e. he took the Iroquois word 'kanata' meaning 'village' to label this land he explored and mapped; and it was this exploration that enabled the French to lay claim to it. Date: 1535.

** The name of his boat is Bureau Vallée 2 which refers to his sponsor Bureau Vallée (French office suppliers). 

[Photo: Vincent Olivaud]