Banque Populaire withdraws from the Vendée Globe 2024
“Banque Populaire considers today that the conditions are no longer met to be able to calmly approach the Vendée Globe and announces its withdrawal from the 2024 edition.” It is with these words in a succinct press release, without a word for its former skipper Clarisse Crémer, that this historic sponsor of offshore racing has announced its absence from the start of the main race around the world next year.
The first woman in the last Vendée Globe with this same sponsor was in danger of not qualifying after not having sailed enough in events earning the points necessary for qualification. His sponsor had then decided to change skipper in the face of the risk of not participating in the Vendée but had unleashed a storm in the sailing world and beyond.
🔵 Banque Populaire se retire du Vendée Globe 2024 et réaffirme son engagement dans la voile.
Lire le communiqué de presse : https://t.co/BpoFfLdHsF
— Voile Banque Populaire (@VoileBanquePop) February 17, 2023
Banque Populaire therefore finally decides not to participate at all in this mythical race. “Involved in the world of sailing for more than 30 years, Banque Populaire will continue to support clubs, schools, French sailing teams and its offshore racing team throughout France on all the oceans of the world. Banque Populaire will actively continue its involvement in work that helps to advance the place of women in sport and in particular in ocean racing,” adds the bank.
Banque Populaire had initiated at the beginning of the month, in the face of popular vindictiveness, a start of backtracking in order to convince the navigator to return. After the clash, the dialogue had therefore been renewed for a time but, in the end, the sponsor and Clarisse Crémer did not find common ground on the sports project. Asked, the young mother did not wish to react.
