On 10 November, Violette Dorange set sail in the Vendée Globe 2024. And the sailor has made a name for herself as, at 23, she is the youngest skipper in this edition. Portrait of an athletic and strategic woman whose future looks more than promising.
Originally from Charente-Maritime, Violette was born in 2001. The sea runs in the Dorange family. Like her brother (three times world champion in catamaran sailing) and sister, the young girl was introduced to sailing at a very early age and joined the Société des régates rochelaises. But the call of the waves was not so instinctive…
At 6 years old on a sailboat
While many young children play in parks and take part in land-based sports, Violette Dorange was already on a small sailboat at the age of six. ‘At first, I didn’t really like it because it’s cold and wet. I was on an Optimist and I didn’t think I was getting anywhere. But little by little, I got the hang of it. When I started competing, I saw that it was going well. Then I went to Argentina to take part in the World Sailing Championships, and that’s when things really clicked,’ Violette Dorange told Annonces du Bateau three years ago.
At the age of 15, while studying in a sports-study section, she set off single-handed across the English Channel with impressive determination. A year later, she set off to cross the Straits of Gibraltar, before winning the title of French champion in 2016 and 2017 with Camille Orion in the 420 class. This was followed by a bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships, a silver medal in 2017 and two bronze medals (2016 and 2018) at the World Youth Championships in the girls’ category.
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At the age of 18, she took part in the Mini Transat. She became the youngest woman ever to take part in and complete this solo transatlantic race. The sporting world applauded her, praising her technical skills and mental strength.
Subsequently, the engineering student at the Insa in Rennes took part in three editions of the Solitaire du Figaro. She finished 10th in 2022. The pace of these competitions is intense, enabling the sailor to make progress against the best skippers in the world. All these sporting events encouraged the young woman to enter the Vendée Globe in 2024. A ‘dream’ for the sportswoman that has been coming true for a few days now.
Violette Dorange in the 2024 Vendée Globe
But before she set sail, it was time to prepare. Violette Dorange, backed by her mentor Jean Le Cam and supported by her family, was entrusted with the IMOCA DeVenir, also known by the nickname ‘Hubert’. This boat enabled Michel Desjoyeaux to win the 2008 Vendée Globe and Jean Le Cam to achieve 6th and 4th place finishes a few years later. Violette Dorange has brought a humanist vision to the boat through her DeVenir project, which supports the Apprentis d’Auteuil Foundation.
Now aged 23, she has been sailing since 10 November in a bid to secure the best possible place in this solo, unassisted round the world race. And of course, Violette Dorange is the youngest in the competition.
The TBS brand ambassador is sharing her adventures on social networks and, as well as her skills, is impressing with her composure, confidence, maturity and positivity. As she shares her news on Instagram, she also reveals what goes on behind the scenes of the Vendée Globe.
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If she succeeds in completing the race, Violette Dorange should return to earth on 7 March 2025. But whatever the outcome and her ranking in the Vendée Globe 2024, the athlete will forever remain a great source of inspiration for young people, advocating great values about surpassing oneself and believing in one’s dreams.
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Featured photo : © Instagram Violette Dorange
