That's a bit of a sad message we just got. The end of a dream, of a story carried by many hosts.
Remember, we are just a few months before the start of the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe. Jeff Pelet is struggling to finance his participation in this legendary race.
With his IMOCA Come in Vendée, he managed to raise the budget by involving many companies in the Vendée as well as many individuals. Adding all his personal assets (by selling his own house) he hopes to get off to a good start.
But the race organisation does not see him in the same light and does not give him permission to take the start. But Jeff Pelet decides to go as a pirate. A week after the start of the race.
He tells us the rest in a very laconic communiqué that makes all the lovers of the sea and the beautiful sailing stories that we are want to cry:
The end of a great adventure
This is a new and final event that plummets the future of Come in Vendée..
Jeff Pellet's IMOCA boat, which was deprived of the Vendée Globe due to a lack of race qualifications, is today unusable..
As a reminder, Jeff set off on his solo round the world voyage as a pirate a week after the Vendée Globe competitors. A start that the Sablais will remember forever, supported by several tens of thousands of spectators! After a good descent, he had passed the Equator at a courier's pace, before his first collision with a UFO. The skipper then decided to divert to the West Indies, before a second collision. The keel sail was damaged. Then begins an arm wrestling match with the insurance company..
7 months
Come in Vendée is dry, on the commercial port of Les Sables-d'Olonne. Jeff will no longer be at the helm, the fault lies with an insurance company which has been blaming a faulty keel since 2013! "The boat has been stuck since 28th December 2016, awaiting an insurance survey. 7 months! We haven't been able to operate the boat nor prepare new projects", plagues Jeff.
Previous foul
Come in Vendée was, after much discussion, transported by cargo ship from Antigua in England, then conveyed to Les Sables-d'Olonne. Arrived on May 21st, appraised on June 6th. "The survey report arrived on July 24th! They blame it on keel repairs carried out by the previous owner in 2013. According to them, the keel was reinforced without the consent of the architect or the keel builder. The keel should have been scrapped on that date". There are no plans to take care of the keel! "They consider that the two shocks cannot be taken into consideration". The art of kicking on the sidelines..
End of the game
In the face of insurance, it's the pot of dirt versus the pot of iron, according to Jeff. Come in Vendée will only be able to sail when a new keel sail is laid. The amount of the repair is 96,000 euros. Already facing financial constraints, Jeff is throwing in the towel. "Come in Vendée" is for sale as is. The Route du Rhum project and other operations of the boat fall through. Drafts continue to fall..."
It remains a dream, however, that a title partner will invest to relaunch the beautiful mechanics of Come in Vendée. "It's the end of the game," conceded Jeff, who has been on the ropes for three years. It's one too many.
Come In Vendée would like to thank all its partners, volunteers, media and the public for their support.
