Yesterday in the square at the Congress centre in the French town of Les Sables d’olonne in the presence of several thousand spectators to the winners around the world “Golden globe” was awarded prizes and all the participants and those who withdrew and those who completed the race, commemorative “globes”. Says Vladimir Snegirev:
Well, that’s all. This adventure is almost over. Just at the start in July last year there were 18 participants. Finished only four. Four boats lost in the ocean. Thirteen riders for various reasons dropped out of the race, sometimes the circumstances are very dramatic. One Finn Tapio Lehtinen – still continues to battle with the ocean, he is now in the Atlantic, near the equator.
I wrote “almost over” because Tapio while on the route. And because our yachtsman Igor Zaretsky intends in the autumn to continue the fight – now in the class of Chichester, is such a comforting option, provided by the organizers for those who were forced to stop calling at the port. Igor braked in Australia, in the Marina of the city of Albany, where doctors advised him to undergo an in-depth inspection and then Zaretsky had to go to Moscow and there to go under the surgeon’s knife.
It should be noted that in January-February of 2018, i.e. for four months before the start, he had two complex surgeries. A real hero! In the fall he’ll be back in the ocean and will close its tour around the world.
In General, it’s amazing: Les Sables at the ceremony arrived, all (except for Tapio) participants GGR. Every one of them. It was touching to see together so many cool guys plus one lady from Britain Susie Goodall. Susie enjoyed a particularly affectionate attention, she also got in the southern ocean, her boat capsized, it was a real crash, a horrible risk.
It seemed to me that all of them – and come down to the finish, and the castaways, are the winners. And, perhaps, the most important achievement of this race was this human unity. Alas, the organizers were unable to find wealthy sponsors, even the winner GGR legendary Frenchman Jean-Luc van Den head received a modest check for 5 thousand pounds. But in this case the prize was the participation in the race, this extraordinary family involvement to the greatest adventure, the willingness to risk himself to save others. It kept saying to me – some with tears in their eyes. Because all things come to an end.
And I’m also happy that we met and became friends with these guys. Podpisala such a bright energy.
Made a few yesterday and the day before the photo. Igor with his wife Oksana and his sponsor Basil by Sanatoruim (head of the group of companies of Dubliu). Silver medalist mark Slats with Susie Goodall. The bronze prize-winner of the UCU, Randmaa with his beautiful, Maybe. Fourth-ranked Istvan Kopar and his wife Eva.
