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 to raise the number of participating skippers to 40 for the upcoming 2024 edition.
A total of 44 skippers applied for the 10th edition, with 42 qualifying following the New York Vendee—Les Sables d'Olonne race. However, only 40 skippers will set sail on November 10, 2024, with the organizers emphasizing safety and the preservation of the race's unique qualities.
In 2028, the number of competitors at the start will again be set at 40, ensuring a consistent experience for participants and spectators. Qualification rules have been strengthened since 2020, requiring sailors to take part in 2 solo races and finish at least one of them between 2022 and 2024, within a time limit not exceeding the winner's time by 50%. Despite the increased stringency, 42 skippers successfully met the criteria out of 44 projects.
Furthermore, the introduction of 13 new boats was aimed at promoting innovation within the event. The remaining 26 spots were filled based on the number of nautical miles raced since the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021. The organisers were then tasked with selecting one "wild card" project from the remaining three for the 40th place, adding an element of anticipation and surprise to the highly anticipated event.
The list of 40 skippers unveiled for the Vendée Globe 2024 :
- Fabrice AMEDEO (Nexans - Wewise) – FRA
- Romain ATTANASIO (Fortinet - Best Western) - FRA
- Eric BELLION (STAND AS ONE) - FRA
- Yannick BESTAVEN (Maître CoQ V) - FRA
- Jérémie BEYOU (Charal) - FRA
- Arnaud BOISSIÈRES (La Mie Câline) - FRA
- Louis BURTON (Bureau Vallée) - FRA
- Conrad COLMAN (MS Amlin) – USA/NZL
- Antoine CORNIC (Human Immobilier) – FRA
- Manuel COUSIN (Coup de Pouce) - FRA
- Clarisse CRÉMER (L'Occitane en Provence) - FRA
- Charlie DALIN (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) - FRA
- Samantha DAVIES (Initiatives-Cœur) - GBR
- Violette DORANGE (DeVenir) – FRA
- Louis DUC (Fives Group - Lantana Environnement) - FRA
- Benjamin DUTREUX (GUYOT environnement – Water Family) - FRA
- Benjamin FERRÉ (Monnoyeur - Duo for a Job) - FRA
- Sam GOODCHILD (VULNERABLE) – GBR
- Pip HARE (Medallia) - GBR
- Oliver HEER (Oliver Heer Ocean Racing) – SUI
- Boris HERRMANN (Malizia - Seaexplorer) - GER
- Isabelle JOSCHKE (MACSF) - FRA/GER
- Jean LE CAM (Tout commence en Finistère - Armor-lux) - FRA
- Tanguy LE TURQUAIS (Lazare) – FRA
- Nicolas LUNVEN (Holcim - PRB) – FRA
- Sébastien MARSSET (Foussier) – FRA
- Paul MEILHAT (Biotherm) - FRA
- Justine METTRAUX (TeamWork - Team SNEF) – SUI
- Giancarlo PEDOTE (Prysmian) - ITA
- Yoann RICHOMME (Paprec Arkéa) – FRA
- Alan ROURA (Hublot) - SUI
- Thomas RUYANT (VULNERABLE) - FRA
- Damien SEGUIN (Groupe APICIL) - FRA
- Kojiro SHIRAISHI (DMG MORI Global One) - JPN
- Sébastien SIMON (Groupe Dubreuil) - FRA
- Maxime SOREL (V and B - Monbana – Mayenne) – FRA
- Guirec SOUDÉE (Freelance.com) – FRA
- Denis VAN WEYNBERGH (D'Ieteren Group) - BEL
- Szabolcs WEÖRES (New Europe) - HUN
- Jingkun XU (Singchain Team Haikou) – CHN