Jonny Malbon

Extraordinary video from the 2004/5 Vendee Globe

I’ve been scouring YouTube for video clips of the current race since it began. I’ve ignored video from the last Vendee, but then tonight I saw this clip of Bruce Schwab’s 2004/5 voyage in Ocean Planet - a film that follows him right the way through the the finish, and that’s been watched over 33,000 times. Bruce became the “first official American” (not sure what this means…) to finish the Vendee. Shot in the style of an extreme 4th July parade that takes place on a racing yacht in the Southern Ocean, it’s extremely patriotic - with an extraordinary message narrated by the Governor of Maine declaring the collective pride of the entire state of Maine in Bruce’s venture. As Bruce arrives alongside, French schoolchildren line the quay chanting “we love Bruce, we love Bruce”, and a Disney-esque soundtrack reaches its insane climax with the US Ambassador to France voicing over paean of national pride.

Awesomeness factor of 9/10. Starts really sane and normal. Persevere - it spears totally out of control just towards the middle.

It’s just interesting to see how other countries deal with this event.