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Vendee Globe Sailing Race News
DMG MORI Sailing Team will build a new IMOCA race boat ahead of The Ocean Race 2027
The DMG MORI Sailing Team is announcing a new build of an IMOCA 60 with the aim of participating in the The Ocean Race 2027 and the Vendée Globe 2028. With performance and reliability in mind, the DMG MORI Sailing…
VULNERABLE skipper Sam Goodchild (GBR) is pictured during training on April 26, 2024, in Lorient, France is one of 40 skippers named for the 2024 Vendee Globe Race solo non stop round the world race starting on November 10th
Increased interest in the 2024 Vendee Globe has led to stricter qualification rules, and 40 sailors have been unveiled for November's start. The 2020 edition of the Vendee Globe(with 33 entries) captured significant attention from sailing enthusiasts, leading the organisers…
Imoca MACIF Santé Prévoyance skipper Charlie Dalin (FRA) is interviewed after he takes first place in the New York Vendee sailing race, in Les Sables d'Olonne, on June 8, 2024
After leading the 28 boat IMOCA fleet since last Monday morning, and today holding a margin of over 300 miles over second place, French skipper Charlie Dalin tonight completed an emphatic victory on the 3200 nautical miles New York Vendee…
New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne Solo Race leader Charlie Dalin can anticipate Sunday morning triumph
After leading the New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne solo race across the Atlantic since Monday morning, top French skipper Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) is expected to cross the finish line during Saturday night to take a resounding victory…
British Sailor Sam Goodchild was dismasted in New York – Vendée Race, 150 miles from the island of Santa Maria in the Azores
At 5:15 pm today, while in fourth position in the New York – Vendée race, the sailboat Vulnerable, skippered by British sailor Sam Goodchild, was dismasted, bringing an end to his transatlantic race bid. While the IMOCA monohull was dismasted,…
French skipper Charlie Dalin leads again as low-pressure trough is negotiated in the New York Vendée-Les Sables d’Olonne solo race to France
After being hampered by small technical problems at a critical point on the outward race to the USA, French skipper Charlie Dalin would dearly like to be first back to Les Sables d’Olonne at the conclusion of the New York…
New York-Vendee makes its mark on the Big Apple with glamour trials, haute cuisine and big thinkers while previewing the Vendee Globe form book. IMOCA Fortinet - Best Western is pictured before Manhattan
The wind gods only partially delivered for the NY-Vendee fleet competing in the Vendee Liberty exhibition speed trials on upper New York Harbour on Friday with puffs of breeze deciding the fortunes of the fleet. Battling north and south winds…
The Vendée Globe's ‘little American sister', the New York Vendée Les Sables d'Olonne Race will set sail in 15 days time, on 29 May
With six months to go before the start of its 10th edition, the Vendée Globe is making an American aside! The last qualifying and selection race for the solo round the world race, the New York Vendée Les Sables d'Olonne,…
Pip Hare pictured dockside during the Bermudes 1000 race in Brest in 2022
Pip Hare’s Vendée Globe campaign is sailing into some choppy waters with news that the veteran offshore solo sailor needs more funding by this summer or the boat likely won’t race in November. As Marine Industry News reports, Hare’s team…
New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne: One month to go until the final race before the Vendée Globe. The event will begin with a show of all the IMOCA boats on May 24
On May 29, 31 skippers from around the world will set sail from New York towards the Vendée, for the final qualifying and selection race to qualify for the Vendée Globe: the most challenging sailing race around the world. The…
Clarisse Crémer
Solo yachtswoman Clarisse Crémer and her husband Tanguy Le Turquais have been cleared of allegations of misconduct relating to the 2020-21 edition of the Vendée Globe. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the pair strenuously denied claims made in an anonymous…
Clarisse Crémer
Solo yachtswoman Clarisse Crémer has denied accusations of cheating in the 2020-21 Vendée Globe. According to France 24, it comes on the foot of claims in an anonymous email sent earlier this month to the French Sailing Federation (FFVoile) that…
Retour à La Base: Pip Hare (GBR) ready to go solo again
Pip Hare, who recently visited Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay, is one of those racers who is probably happiest when she is at sea, at one with her IMOCA Medallia. But the British racer now faces her biggest test yet…
Last time round - French skipper Thomas Ruyant, sailing on the Imoca LinkedOut, prior for the 2020 Vendee Globe
On 10 November 2024, the Vendée Globe skippers will set off on the 10th edition of the non-stop, non-assisted, single-handed round-the-world race. They will sail down the legendary Les Sables d'Olonne channel, cheered on enthusiastically by the public in Vendée,…
As an official partner of the 2024 Vendée Globe, Zodiac will provide a safety fleet of 42 RIBs to escort the 40 solo skippers competing in this unique race
Zodiac, a well-known international brand in RIBs with over 125 years of experience, has renewed its partnership with the Vendée Globe, one of the most renowned ocean races in the world. As an official partner of the 2024 Vendée Globe,…
Vendee Globe race 2024 inforgraphic
The tenth edition of the non-stop, non-assisted, single-handed round-the-world Vendee Globe race has set a new record with 44 skippers applying. There are a number of newcomers, the 18 'rookies'. The youngest skipper, Violette Dorange, is just 22! She is…

The 2024 Vendée Globe Race

A record-sized fleet of 44 skippers are aiming for the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe: the 24,296 nautical miles solo non-stop round-the-world race from Les Sables d’Olonne in France, on Sunday, November 10 2024 and will be expected back in mid-January 2025.

Vendée Globe Race FAQs

Six women (Alexia Barrier, Clarisse Cremer, Isabelle Joschke, Sam Davies, Miranda Merron, Pip Hare).

Nine nations (France, Germany, Japan, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and Great Britain)

After much speculation following Galway man Enda O’Coineen’s 2016 race debut for Ireland, there were as many as four campaigns proposed at one point, but unfortunately, none have reached the start line.

The Vendée Globe is a sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance. It takes place every four years and it is regarded as the Everest of sailing. The event followed in the wake of the Golden Globe which had initiated the first circumnavigation of this type via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) in 1968.

The record to beat is Armel Le Cléac’h 74 days 3h 35 minutes 46s set in 2017. Some pundits are saying the boats could beat a sub-60 day time.

The number of theoretical miles to cover is 24,296 miles (45,000 km).

The IMOCA 60 ("Open 60"), is a development class monohull sailing yacht run by the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA). The class pinnacle events are single or two-person ocean races, such as the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe.

Zero past winners are competing but two podiums 2017: Alex Thomson second, Jérémie Beyou third. It is also the fifth participation for Jean Le Cam and Alex Thomson, fourth for Arnaud Boissières and Jérémie Beyou.

The youngest on this ninth edition of the race is Alan Roura, 27 years old.

The oldest on this ninth edition is Jean Le Cam, 61 years old.

Over half the fleet are debutantes, totalling 18 first-timers.

The start procedure begins 8 minutes before the gun fires with the warning signal. At 4 minutes before, for the preparatory signal, the skipper must be alone on board, follow the countdown and take the line at the start signal at 13:02hrs local time. If an IMOCA crosses the line too early, it incurs a penalty of 5 hours which they will have to complete on the course before the latitude 38 ° 40 N (just north of Lisbon latitude). For safety reasons, there is no opportunity to turn back and recross the line. A competitor who has not crossed the starting line 60 minutes after the signal will be considered as not starting. They will have to wait until a time indicated by the race committee to start again. No departure will be given after November 18, 2020, at 1:02 p.m when the line closes.

The first boat could be home in sixty days. Expect the leaders from January 7th 2021 but to beat the 2017 race record they need to finish by January 19 2021.

Today, building a brand new IMOCA generally costs between 4.2 and €4.7million, without the sails but second-hand boats that are in short supply can be got for around €1m.

©Afloat 2020

Vendee Globe 2024 Key Figures

  • 10th edition
  • Six women (vs six in 2020)
  • 16 international skippers (vs 12 in 2020)
  • 11 nationalities represented: France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Japan, China, USA, New Zealand (vs 9 in 2020)
  • 18 rookies (vs 20 in 2020)
  • 30 causes supported
  • 14 new IMOCAs (vs 9 in 2020)
  • Two 'handisport' skippers

At A Glance - Vendee Globe 2024

The 10th edition will leave from Les Sables d’Olonne on November 10, 2024

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