French sailor Clarisse Cremer lost her sponsor for the 2024 Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race after recently becoming a mother, sparking a wave of protest and a condemnation by France's sports minister.
The 33-year old — who in 2021 set the record for the fastest circumnavigation by a woman — was dropped as skipper by sponsor Banque Populaire as the bank feared that she would not be allowed to start in the 2024-25 race under new regulations.
A change in Vendee Globe regulations meant Cremer was unable to rack up sufficient qualifying miles due to her pregnancy. Previously, any sailor who had finished the race was automatically qualified for the next edition.