The French public pays attention to it, as do offshore sailors in general, but it’s a tiny “market” of eyeballs. My Naval architect friends who don’t sail also find it interesting from an engineering perspective and Gitana puts out good content, albeit in French, so I’m using the translator a lot. The programs and races are mostly sponsored by large French banks and dynastically wealthy families, I assume there is some overlap there… It’s like formula 1 but less eyeballs and more French prestige. A vast majority of the skippers and crew of these yachts these days are French, with the occasional Brit thrown in there.

It's an unholy circle jerk of rich people's pet projects and back handed corporate R&D. Don't try and make it make sense. It doesn't. It may be partially self funding through viewership and other but it's still a money fire no matter how you cut it. Think of it like space exploration circa 2005 only funded by rich people and interests rather than by nation states. Every now and then something trickles down into "normal use". Plastic braided rope is a good example.