Paris (AFP) - British sailor Alex Thomson stepped into the sexism row surrounding the Vendee Globe round-the-world race by buying the Imoca boat of Banque Populaire, in a deal announced on social media on Tuesday.
The boat has been without a skipper since the banking group parted ways with Clarisse Cremer in February.
The 33-year-old gave birth in late 2022 but she was removed as captain as the team believed she was unable to qualify for the epic race after a change in regulations.
Cremer, who finished 12th in the last edition, claimed she has been effectively banned from entering the race because she had became a mother.
The French banking group said on Twitter on Tuesday that the sale had been agreed "as part of a project that would allow a future skipper to participate in the Vendee Globe aboard this boat".
Thomson came second in the 2016/2017 race said in 2021 that he would not compete in the 2024 race, preferring to manage his team.
There are 40 places available for the tenth edition of the race which starts in Les Sables d'Olonne on November 10, 2024.So far 28 skippers have applied.
