Clarisse Cremer fired for being a mom: blizzard over Banque Populaire

It has raised a fuss over the decision by the giant Banque Populaire to fire French skipper Clarisse Cremer, with whom the sponsor was tied to campaign toward the 2024 Vendée Globe. In fact, the reason for the dismissal would not be technical at all, but concerns the risk of the transalpine sailor not qualifying for the next round-the-world race. The reason? Motherhood for Cremer, who gave birth to a baby girl last November and has been out of racing for the past year.

The case is causing such a stir in France that the French Minister of Sport, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has asked for clarification on the matter and is taking a personal interest in it.

Clarisse Cremer doesn’t go for it

In a fiery statement on her Facebook page, the young Parisian sailor, who finished the 2020 Vendée Globe in twelfth place on an older generation boat, points the finger at the sponsor. Clarisse says she is ready to get back in the boat and indeed would have hastened the timing of her physical recovery after her pregnancy, and she is convinced that she can still qualify for the 2024 Vendée Globe since there are still several transatlantic and practically two sailing seasons ahead. The risk, however, according to the sponsor is there, hence the resounding decision.

The rules of the Vendée Globe have changed

All of this should be read in the context of changing the rules of solo round-the-world travel. Cremer, under the old rules, having finished the 2020 edition, would have rightfully qualified for the next one. This year, however, things have changed, and she too has to go through the whole rigmarole of qualifying miles during the official Imoca 60 class solo races. It appears that the Vendée Globe is unwilling to allow a rule for her case, considering also that this is not a rookie but a sailor who has proven she can complete an extreme regatta such as this.

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Banque Populaire plays a barrel of bullets

Clearly coming out “in pieces” from the controversy is the giant Banque Populaire, which has discovered itself to be incredibly fragile. The banking group’s defense then appeared as weak as ever, merely claiming that it had asked for a solution from the Vendée Globe, which, however, did not accept exceptions. According to the sponsor, despite a two-year regatta ahead, the Cremer would not be able to guarantee qualification for the regatta.

The dismissal of Cremer would have been from the sponsor’s point of view a way to protect themselves and have a certain skipper at the start. A move that seems not to have taken into account at all the consequences that were easily foreseeable.

At a time in history when sports and society in general are working to try to break down gender distances, prejudices, and the differences in access between men and women in the world of work, Banque Populaire’s appears to be a decision that is totally out of time and with hardly justifiable contours. The hashtag #banqueimpopulaire is all the rage on social media and a petition has sprung up to officially call for Clarisse’s reinstatement. It is hard to believe that within Banque Populaire no one could have imagined what this choice would arouse. Quoting a passage from Cremer’s statement, “they are willing to support the risks of a 100-foot trimaran, the unknowns of sea racing, but not my motherhood”?