Nexans boards with skipper Fabrice Amedeo

With two Vendée Globe races under his belt and a third in preparation for 2024, Fabrice Amedeo has been training and taking part in the most prestigious races aboard his IMOCA for the past two years thanks to the support of Nexans, a group with which he shares many values related to environmental protection, the fight against global warming and the preservation of the oceans.

© Jean-Marie LIOT
Fabrice Amadeo

Fabrice Amedeo is a skipper with an unusual career path who entered the Vendée Globe 8 years ago and is excited to be returning to this formidable challenge in 2024.

Until then, in persuance of this goal and to prepare under the best conditions, he can count on the support of Nexans and will train by participating in the most prestigious races aboard his vessel the IMOCA Nexans – Art & Fenêtres.

Nexans has given Fabrice Amedeo's new boat a total makeover!

Nexans took care of 100% of the onboard cabling.

  • Aeronautical cables: Light as a feather to keep the racing yacht flying.
  • Solar cables: Tough as nails, with superior mechanical and UV resistance, plus excellent water absorption.

Nexans and Fabrice Amedeo, a focus on oceanographic research

Aboard his monohull, the skipper installed oceanographic sensors that collect valuable analysed data and then make it available to the international scientific community to help it gain a better understanding of the impacts of global warming and pollution on the oceans. Taking part in the Vendée Globe for the third time, Fabrice Amedeo wishes to expand his eco-citizen approach by travelling the oceans without fossil fuels, aboard a boat powered and driven by wind, water and the sun.

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“ I am very happy and very proud of this new start, boosted by this support and by our joint project to sail without fossil fuel. We believe in the exemplary nature of sport in our society and we want to convey this message: it is possible to move towards the energy transition without sacrificing performance. We will also travel the world’s oceans with our sensors that will allow us to collect valuable data for the scientific community and raise awareness among the younger generations. ”

Fabrice Amadeo

Offshore racer, journalist and author
Vincent Dessalen Nexans
“ In addition to his sporting achievements, Fabrice's innovative approach is based on his work to improve knowledge of the oceans, especially their pollution, in partnership with organizations such as Ifremer, as well as to educate younger generations. The messages he conveys are in line with the shift of Nexans’ activities towards the sustainable electrification of the world. ”
Vincent Dessale
Nexans Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Vice President

Scientific results of the samples collected in the Atlantic

The microplastics sensor of the Imoca Nexans - Art et Fenêtres has three filters that are changed every 24 hours during the race: 300 microns, 100 microns and 30 microns. 53 samples were taken in the Atlantic Ocean during the last Vendée Globe, corresponding to approximately 53 days of sailing.

First scientific results: results of measurements at 300 microns

This study, led by three French institutes: Ifremer, the University of Bordeaux and the IRD (a public research institution), reveals that the surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean are twice as polluted by cellulose fibres as it is by microplastics.

This study, based on measurements taken from an offshore race boat, also shows that the North Atlantic is more affected by plastic pollution than the South Atlantic and questions the dynamics of the subtropical gyre (area with a high concentration of microplastics) since the pollution levels measured there are lower than expected.

Results of the measurements at a precision level of 100 microns

All these measurement campaigns are analyzed by scientists from the University of Bordeaux and Ifremer.

The analyses indicate a significant presence of cellulose fibers in the filters: they are 40 times more concentrated on the 100 µm sieves with a distribution in the water column almost equivalent to that of microplastics. Another striking fact is that 100% of the samples from the 100 µm sieves contain microplastics compared to 64% for the 300 µm sieves.

By going from an analysis of 300 to 100 µm, the presence of microparticles (cellulose fibers and microplastics fragments) increases, and the proportion of microplastics is also on the rise: at 300 µm, there are twice as many cellulose fibers, at 100 µm, the proportion is 54% cellulose fibers and 46% microplastics.

Nexans aeronautics-grade cables on board

Involved in an ambitious project by Imoca Nexans – Art & Fenêtres, Fabrice Amedeo and his team are working to complete the installation of the new C-foils before the launch. This work involves refurbishing all of the vessel's operating systems. For electronics, Nexans has developed all the monohull’s wiring, making it lighter and more efficient.

Before taking to the sea again and re-experiencing the excitement of departure and the thrill of the race, a few weeks ago, they were working in the shade on a painstaking but essential task.

The Nexans - Art & Fenêtres teams mobilised to structurally strengthen the vessel and also to equip it with more efficient electronics and autopilots before the launch planned for mid-April 2022.

The Nexans - Art & Fenêtres teams mobilised to structurally strengthen the vessel and also to equip it with more efficient electronics and autopilots before the launch planned for mid-April 2022.

WHAT'S WATT: Frédéric Lesur meets skipper Fabrice Amedeo right before his taking off for the "Transat Jacques Vabre" transatlantic race on his Nexans boat.

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