Two thirds of the fleet built for race
Twenty of the 30 Open 60 Vendee Globe, solo, non-stop, round the world race boats have been custom built for this edition. Because of this the race is expected to be one of the most fiercely fought in the event’s history.
Regarding the need the need for improved medical assistance, race doctor Jean
Yves Chauve comments, “In 1993, when Bertrand de Broc had to put stitches in his
tongue, we communicated using faxes. We had to wait a quarter of an hour or
longer between me sending the message and him receiving it. Considering we were
dealing with an emergency situation, that certainly complicated matters. Fifteen
years later, we have moved on to video-conferencing. Live from our computer at
home, we can guide someone through an operation in a boat in the middle of
nowhere. Technology has moved on to such an extent that we can now begin to talk
about virtual medicine. In this area, the Vendée Globe is the perfect
experimental lab.”