Foils: wings to make a boat fly

Foils are a key innovation in the design of modern racing boats, enabling skippers to push back the limits of speed at sea. Made from carbon and fitted with acoustic sensors and fibre optics, these foils are capable of withstanding extreme deformation. In preparation for the Vendée Globe 2024, a second pair of emergency foils was manufactured this year for Sam Davies' boat.

A revolutionary seat to protect the body from impacts

A new innovation for Samantha Davies aboard the IMOCA Initiatives-Cœur! This year, the yachtswoman is setting off on the Vendée Globe with a revolutionary ergonomic seat that protects her body from impacts on increasingly fast and violent boats. Thanks to this technology, she can better prevent injuries, stay focused on her performance and on her mission: to save children with Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. Go Samantha, on course for victory!

Jef Aérosol : a street artist on board

After painting the walls of cities around the world, street artist Jef Aérosol is redecorating Sam Davies' boat. His stencil portraits of children will accompany Sam Davies on his round-the-world voyage.

What kind of physical preparation for the Vendée Globe sailors ?

Go behind the scenes of Samantha Davies' intense training for the Vendée Globe. Under the watchful eye of her coach, Sam tackles bodybuilding exercises adapted to the extreme challenges of this legendary race. Du from trimming heavy sails to demanding manoeuvres on her foiling yacht, the yachtswoman is preparing for two and a half months of solo racing. Her strength and exceptional physical condition will be her best allies when facing the ocean. Ready to take on the impossible? Watch and immerse yourself in her daily life!

Pool training for the Vendée Globe

Even if it's not essential to know how to swim to take part in the Vendée Globe, swimming is a precious ally when it comes to tackling the physical challenges of this extreme round-the-world race. To strengthen his muscles and improve his cardio, Sam Davies trains 3 times a week in the pool.

Visit Sam's boat

A living space as small as a cupboard, where she will spend almost 2 and a half months alone!Discover the interior of this sailing boat, built for round-the-world adventure.

The sport where you train with your rivals

The Vendée Globe skippers train together to benefit from a collective emulation, to improve their preparation in real conditions, while preserving certain parts of their strategy for the competition. The relationship between mutual aid and competition is a delicate one, but the benefits of this training are often considered more important than the risks of revealing secrets.

Survival at sea

Sam has learnt the essential survival skills: stitching herself up, deploying a life raft, launching distress rockets.

Pilates, mental fitness and performance: Sam Davies' secrets

As part of his intense preparation for the Vendée Globe, Sam has chosen to incorporate PILATES sessions to strengthen his body, improve his flexibility and optimise his concentration. Every movement counts in this extreme adventure, and Sam shows us how Pilates helps him to stay in top form!

Sam in Cameroon 'Saving lives' mission

Sailor Samantha Davies recounts the humanitarian aid mission she took part in with the charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. She met 10-year-old Muriel, who suffers from a serious heart defect. Sam travelled to France with her and accompanied her every step of the way to recovery.

Resilience: Sam opens up

With just a few weeks to go before the start of the Vendée Globe, Sam opens up about her family, her journey, her commitment to the charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, which motivates each of her round-the-world voyages, and her happiness at being at sea despite the extreme hardship of the race.

What boat for the next 2024 around the world race?

Continuing to lead the race is essential for Samantha Davies. The Initiatives-Coeur project needs the media in order to raise awareness and to collect donations to save children with heart disease. To build a high-performance boat, everything starts from the drawing board with naval architect Sam Manuard.

Assembling the hull and deck

At the shipyard, everyone is busy working on the resin moulds, carbon fibres and structural partitions that will soon form the new Imoca Initiatives-Cœur. Each stage is essential to build this Formula 1 boat, which must be both solid and light.

Painting the boat

The Initiatives-Cœur team in Lorient is not short of work to finalise Sam Davies' race boat. They are fitting the cap, drilling for the fittings, sanding and painting the boat.

Foil manufacture

An essential part of the performance of racing monohulls. Designed by the architect, the foils are made of carbon fibres to be both strong and tolerant of deformation. Torsion tests are important to ensure their solidity.

Making and painting sails

Do you know how the sails of a racing boat are made and painted? In this episode, discover the new face that will adorn the main sail of Initiatives-Cœur. The portrait of Naylah was created by the painter Titouan Lamazou, UNESCO ambassador for peace, who is also the famous sailor who won the 1st edition of endée Globe in 1990.

From dream to reality

Welcoming a sick child

The role of host families is essential in the great chain of solidarity of the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque association. These families agree to welcome sick children during their stay in France which lasts approximately 2 months. A beautiful adventure which they bear witness to with sensitivity.

Open heart surgery

Hosts families have an incredible role to play in supporting the children right up to their operations. In this great chain of solidarity to save children left in the care of Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, staff in the caring system also play an essential role.

Going back home after the operation

The outcome of open heart surgery are often spectacular. A child can now run, play as normal. That is the sign that marks the end of the child's stay in France. An emotional time for all, as experienced by the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque host families.