The Vendée Globe will dock in Boé on May 23

On Friday, May 23, the city will welcome sailor Justine Mettraux - sponsored by the CE2, CM1 and Ulis class students of the Jean-Moulin school - as well as her sponsor Philippe Rey-Gorrez

The adventure had put a sparkle in the eyes of the students at the Jean-Moulin school. And not just theirs… A few days before the start of the Vendée Globe (November 10), Jean-François Judit, deputy mayor of Boé who initiated the project, Mayor Pascale Luguet, teachers, students, and a few lucky companions were able to meet Justine Mettraux on her boat "TeamWork." The apotheosis of an adventure that began almost by chance.

A coincidence born of a passion for the sea, around which Jean-François Judit and Philippe Rey-Gorrez, president of TeamWork, met. "At a trade show. Where, ultimately, we didn't talk about IT." But about sailing, the sea. "Every year, I attend the start of the Vendée Globe, I follow it." The Annecy business leader does too.

From this was born a project, that of introducing young Boétiens to the thrill of the open sea. A little by proxy, but not so much. "Philippe was immediately interested, especially when we told him about the children, in particular those from the Local School Inclusion Unit (Ulis)," the two elected officials recall.

Indeed, more than twenty students discovered the behind-the-scenes of this race, the "Holy Grail of sailors." This was thanks to the involvement of their teachers, Frédérique Bolognini, a boat enthusiast, and Bérangère Tournemie. The latter crocheted a mascot, Léonie the goose, on which the town's emblem is pinned, and which was given to Justine Mettraux by the children. With the help of middle school students from Ducos-du-Hauron, they also put together a radio interview with the sailor, asking her about her favorite animal—the whale—and her fears during this round-the-world trip.