Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Vendee Globe

#vendeeglobe – Alex Thomson crossed the Vendée Globe finish line at 07 hours 25 minutes 43 seconds (GMT) after 80 days 19 hours 23 minutes 43 seconds at sea. He finishes 2 days 18 hours and 7 minutes behind François Gabart.

His final race time is 80 days 19 hours 25 minutes 43 seconds. His average speed around the course was 12.6 knots and he actually covered 28, 022 miles at the average speed of 14.4 knots. Note: the race's theoretical distance was 24,393.41 miles.

After Ellen MacArthur's second place in 2000 and Mike Golding's third in 2005, Alex Thomson becomes the third British skipper ever to finish on the podium of the Vendee Globe. But his time surpasses that of the Golding's previous British solo race record from 2005 by 7 days 19 hours 52 minutes. After winner Francois Gabart and second placed Armel Le Cleac'h, Thomson has also smashed the previous race record of 84 days 03 hours 09 minutes set by Michel Desjoyeaux in 2009.

Third Time Lucky Thomson's Third

The mantra pre start which Alex Thomson never stopped repeating was that his main goal was just to finish this Vendée Globe. By finally completing his first ever non stop circumnavigation in third position, the Hugo Boss skipper broke the run of bad luck that had plagued his two previous Vendée Globe attempts. His podium finish also shows the British skipper is as combative and quick as ever.

Regatta time

Despite the fast rhythm the leaders imposed on the race, Alex Thomson showed he could handle speed and transitions. Never far away from the front runners, he definitely led the race of the "older generation" yachts, sailing his Hugo Boss at a sustained high speed.

One of the signs showing Alex was immediately in full regatta race mode is the claim he filed against some other skippers for not following the official rules of the race regarding the Finisterre Traffic Separation Scheme. Even though the same claim was perfectly justified and filed jointly with the Race Direction, it was met with some misunderstanding. Alex would have to wait to bury his punchy reputation as something of a renegade, but with this result he has been warmly applauded for his great result with a boat, which is not of the latest generation.

Express repairs

Alex Thomson's race has been nothing short of exemplary. Despite technical problems on his Farr-designed yacht, he managed to hang on to the leaders. Right after the Doldrums, the mounting bracket of one of his hydrogenerators came undone and broke the tie bar that keeps the two rudders connected. It was a key moment for the British skipper - who is not exactly renowned for his boat building skills. But he had to fix it fast or run the risk of letting the fleet leaders break away. He turned his autopilot on and, while the boat was progressing at an average speed of 18 knots, he not only set up a composite material workshop on board and proceeded to repair the bracket, but also made a short, informative video report of the repair. And despite this he therefore stayed in contact with the leaders, entering the Indian Ocean 150 miles – less than half a day – behind them.

A light foot in a lead shoe

The Indian Ocean turned out to be a rite of passage for Alex, whose reputation had always been the one of a sailor who pushes his boats hard, sometimes too hard and beyond their limits. He showed he had learned to curb his impulsiveness.  His smart approach and choices allowed him to never get outdistanced by the frontrunners and stay a few miles behind Gabart, Le Cléac'h, Dick and Stamm. He obviously learned from his previous races and stayed in the race until he finished on the podium.

Radio silence

But that did not mean Alex's troubles were over, as the British sailor had to face hydrogenerator trouble again, forcing him to either repair at all cost or forget about finishing his round-the-world race. The Hugo Boss skipper therefore decided to drastically limit his communication with the outside world, a real sacrifice for a man who is always in need of expressing his feelings and exchanging with his family and friends. He did not give up, though, and after rounding Cape Horn, he finally managed to successfully carry out the necessary repairs. He was still in fourth place and sailed through the Doldrums with his sights set on one thing and one thing only: Coming back on Jean-Pierre Dick, 150 miles ahead of him.

A noble gesture

When Jean-Pierre Dick lost his keel on Monday, January 21, he also put Thomson in the spotlight. The Virbac-Paprec 3 skipper was getting prepared to face terrible weather off the Azores when the Hugo Boss skipper spontaneously and sportingly decided to change his heading and stay close to Dick in case the Nice-based sailor found himself in a dangerous situation. Having lost his keel in the South Indian Ocean in 2006 and been rescued by fellow competitor Mike Golding, Thomson fully empathised with the situation and said later there is no way he would have considered leaving Dick to his own devices. By doing so, the British sailor also let go of the hope of sailing around the world in less than 80 days. But by finishing the Vendée Globe on such a noble note, Thomson achieved something even more important than breaking a record: he won a place in the public's heart and in the race history.

Race Statistics:

Longest distance covered in 24 hours: Thomson 477.14 miles  (12/12/12)

545 miles at an average speed of 22.7 knots of François Gabart. (10/12/12)

Les Sables to Equator: 11 days 02 hours 34 min c/w 11 days 00 hours 20 min

(Jean Le Cam's 2004-2005 record: 10 days 11 hours 28 min)

Equator to Good Hope: 12 days 09 hours 59mn

(JP Dick's record: 12 day 02 hour 40min)

Good Hope to Cape Leeuwin: 18 days 16 hours 23 min  c/w 11 days 06 hours 40 min (record)

Cape Leeuwin to Cape Horn: 8 days 16 hours 23 min c/w 17 days 18 h 35mn (new record)

Cape Horn to Equator: 14 days 00 hours 17 min

Equator to Les Sables: 12 days 4 hours 32 min

 

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE WITH ALEX THOMSON

Alex Thomson sailed into the legendary canal, the artery into the heart of Les Sables d'Olonne this morning at typically breakneck speed. With more than 30 kts of wind and mountainous seas Thomson was in no mood to hang around.

Taking third place in the Vendée Globe, the solo non stop race around the world which has dominated his life for the last ten years and which he had twice failed to finish, Alex Thomson set a new non-stop round the world record for a solo British sailor, smashed the existing race record set by Michel Desjoyeaux in 2008-2009, and became only the third ever British skipper to finish on the podium.

His result exorcised many of the ghosts of his past failures, most particularly abandoning his Open 60 in 2006 in the South Indian Ocean when his keel feel off during the Velux 5 Oceans, retiring from the last two Vendée Globes – the 2008-9 edition after just 24 hours – and retiring from the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre after hitting a floating object.

After 80 days at sea Thomson finally enjoyed the traditional Vendée Globe welcome afforded by the thousands who lined the banks of the canal. Three times he has loved the rousing send off on start day, but at last this was the welcome back that he had craved since he first set out on his Open 60 ocean racing career back in 1999.

In a warmly received press conference Thomson was thanked for his recent actions in moving to stand by friend and rival Jean-Pierre Dick, shepherding the French skipper who has lost his keel off Virbac-Paprec 3, through a night of brutal winds and big seas before heading north to the finish.

He spoke of the vital repairs he had to make to his hydrogenerators which kept his hopes of finishing alive, of the pleasure in staying with the faster, newer generation of IMOCA Open 60's, doggedly hanging on the leaders. And at the end of it all, having finally realised his long held ambition, he made his French hosts smile when he confirmed that he had arrived dreaming only of 'the golden arches' longing for a Big Mac and lots of mayonnaise!

Was there a problem with your main sail?

No. Two and half days ago I gybed to come into Les Sables d'Olonne and the forecast was for two periods gusting 50 knots and given that I had just had to finish, with the big waves it was just easier to take the mainsail down and I didn't have to worry about any accidental gybes.

Does this result make all the adversity and all the hard times worthwhile?

Absolutely, I have spent ten years of my life and ten years of my teams life trying to finish and do well in the Vendée Globe and today is a BIG day for our team. I am very proud of the way the boat was prepared apart from the problems I had with the hydrogenerator. I had very few other problems. I feel like I got the most out of the boat. I feel like I did a good job and that's important.

Do you have any thoughts on François Gabart's race?

It's incredible to do the race in 78 days. Denis Horeau, the Race Director asked me if 77 days was possible and I said, 'don't be ridiculous'. But what a great team, Michel Desjoyeaux has basically done it again. I feel for Armel Le Clèac'h coming in second. He should be very proud. He made few mistakes. I feel very honoured to be here in third place after these two great guys.

Did you talk a lot with Mike Golding during the course?

No, Mike and I haven't had very much contact at all. The first contact was by email just off the coast of Brazil and we have exchanged three or four emails since then. I had an email from Alessandro. When I am in a race it doesn't feel right to have small talk with the other skippers. In the beginning, in the first month you are so busy you don't really have time to contact anyone.

As you have had so many problems with your hydrogenerators and Javier Sanso is sailing successfully with no fuel, using solar panels, would you consider a solar panel solution for your next campaign?

Generating power is extremely important on an IMOCA Open 60 Javier Sanso is leading the way for our boats to become clean and it's very admirable of him. When the next Vendée Globe happens we will look at solar, hydro, wind. We will look at all the options available and come up with a solution that will maybe get us all the way around the world most efficiently. That's what we did this time. For this race, for us to go solar would have been a risk. We chose a solution that had some miles. We chose hydrogenerators that had been around the world already and we had heard good reports. We felt that we were taking a conservative option. I think we as a team made the right choice to take enough fuel for half the race. I still have a few litres in the boat. Maybe I went too heavy. Next time, we'll just have to look. The great thing is that Javier is out there testing a solution. To be able to go around the world with no fuel will be a remarkable achievement.

Now that you have ticked the box of completing the course, is it now your ambition to win the Vendée Globe and bring the crown back to Great Britain in 2016?

Competing in the Vendée Globe and being part of a team that aspires to be in this race is all consuming. You give up your life to be able to do it and there are some fantastic positives with it and there are also some negatives as well. I love doing it and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Whether I do 2016, I don't know but I am sure that I'll do the Vendée Globe again.

We hear an awful lot about the hard days but can you tell us about the great days and what goes on in them?

I love the special moments when the sun comes up, the stars are really bright, I love seeing the dolphins, the flying fish. That's all cool. I like it but the great moments are when the scheds come in and you are making miles. And the bad moments are when you are losing miles. For me I am in this for the competition. It's brutal, it's tough and the positives are when you are doing well and that's why I am in it.

Obviously you had issues with your hydrogenerators, did you ever think that you would not make it round? Tell us about your mindset when you were having to go through it all.

I knew that I would get around the world. There was never really a moment when I thought I wouldn't get round. There were several stages each time I had a problem. First, of all get the boat back on the track and stop losing miles and then work out how to fix the problem afterwards. The second time it happened I was in the Southern Ocean so that making a repair in the next month or so was going to be very hard and I guess it seemed like it dragged on and on and on whereas for me I just had to wait. There was never a time where I thought I wouldn't finish.

What is the best memory you have from this round the world race?

"The best memory from this round the world is to finally arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne and see the welcome. When you describe the start of the race they cant believe it, but so far I have never been able to describe the finish and I look forwards to now being able to tell people about it now."

Will you learn to speak French for the next Vendée Globe?

I did take a French language CD with me on the computer, and they are still there! I ran out of power.

What advice would you give to young skippers looking to set out on a path to the Vendée Globe?

In England we are very fortunate in having the Artemis Academy for short handed sailing. They have supported it well, there are some good people coming through the ranks and I sincerely hope we see some more British entries coming through in the next Vendée Globe. But the popularity of what happens here is very different to what happens at home in Britain. And I was very lucky this race with our team, we managed to hook up with the BBC once a week and I spoke live with seven million people in the UK, and hopefully if we can increase the popularity and get more media coverage at home then we are more likely to have more international skippers in this race who are able to enjoy Les Sables d'Olonne's hospitality

What has made the difference in terms of the lower attrition rate this time, does improved preparation contribute?

For me preparation is everything. In the last Vendée Globe we had 30 starters and 11 finishers and I think we all said that was not acceptable. That was too many people dropping out. The big difference between this and the last race is the level and professionalism of the preparation. And I know today we still have nine boats still on the course. We have had three accidents, two of them extraordinary with other boats and one with a floating buoy, so actually today only 25% of the boats of the Vendée Globe have not finished because of technical problems. I put most of that down to preparation. It is a real credit to the skippers, the teams, IMOCA and I am sure the organisers of the Vendée Globe must be very happy with the situation today.

Just describe how tough you found the race?

I think the hardest part of the race was from the start to Cape Horn. For me the Southern Ocean is so tough but the first part is so hard because you have not raced for weeks. Everybody is 'balls to the wall'. Everyone is 100% and you just do not sleep. You struggle to sleep. And then you cant wait to get on the highway on the Southern Ocean, and you get on the highway and you remember how bloody dangerous it is down there, how isolated it is, how scared you are and that for me was the toughest part of the race.

And did you feel disadvantaged not to have a newer generation boat?

I have to say I did find it frustrating at times that every time I would get to a position which was good that they would just sail away from me. But that was a choice. We made a choice over the last four years and it was the wrong choice. And so we did not have a new boat for this edition. On the other hand for the first five weeks of the race I was in the lead group. And the way it made me feel better was I was thinking that the other skippers would be thinking 'when is he ever going to bugger off', why is he still here?' I feel like I sailed my boat to 100% of its potential. I feel like I did a good job. I made mistakes but I feel very satisfied with that.

What was you arrival like, it is something new for you?

When I was coming in to the finish and the first boat came out and beeped a horn, I did not know what to expect after such a long time, but when you enter that canal with all those thousands of people who have made the effort to come and appreciate the effort you have done, you feel really good in your heart. And it makes it very easy to come back to lots of people.

And the level of stress for you, does it rise proportionately through the race?

For me the level of stress is high right at the beginning. You are not used to it. You have been sleeping in beds for too long. And there are lots of boats around and you just go, go, go. The first part of the race is most stressful.  And for me, in particular, the Pacific Ocean was very stressful, just because of the weather conditions.

There have, again, been some keel problems, what do we need to do?

In the last Vendée Globe we had a problem with keels, and we thought we had fixed the problem, Unfortunately it seems we still have a problem and we need to sort the problem. To me it is  not acceptable to have keels fall off boats any more. In the old days, not that long ago, keels used to stay with the boat for the whole of their lives. Now it seems it seems like keels are more disposable than their masts.  So I really hope that after this race, when IMOCA sits down that we take some sensible decisions and make the keels last forever. Just to be clear I am not being critical of any team or any skipper.  The problem is as skippers and teams we are trying to find an advantage where it is not interesting, there is too much risk involved. I hope we end up in a situation where developing keels and adding risk to our adventures does not happen.

And what are the plans for the future, for 2013 and 2014?

I don't know yet. I think I will take a rest after this. We will sit down with our sponsors Hugo Boss and finding out what we do in 2013. We are not too sure at the moment

You wanted a cheeseburger on your arrival, was that the sweetest cheeseburger you have ever had?

It was a cordon bleu cheeseburger, it really was fantastic. But I have to say I wanted a Big Mac. I have been dreaming of the Golden Arche

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#vendeeglobe – François Gabart crossed the Vendée Globe finish line just after 3pm, French time this afternoon, several hours later than expected, setting a new solo round-the-world record of 78 day, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds.  Beating Michel Desjoyeaux's record by 6 day 00 hours 53 minutes

His final race time is 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes 40 seconds. His average speed was 15.3 knots and covering 28,646.55 miles.

The race's theoretical distance is 24,393.41 miles.

Gold for 'Goldenboy' Gabart

François Gabart's Vendée Globe is a story of transformation. In a little less than 80 days, the young skipper, viewed as a talented outsider, he evolved turned into a race leader, successfully keeping the other competitors at bay.

A spectacular start

From the outset of the race, François Gabart set about upsetting the order. He took the lead in the Bay of Biscay, imposing his fast pace and sailing in a style akin to the French short course solo racing circuit, the Solitaire du Figaro skipper than a long-distance sailor. The weather conditions favoured the front runners, who soon extended their lead. It took them three days to reach the Madeira latitude, where the first strategic choices were made, followed by Armel Le Cléac'h storming into the front.

4-way match

Sailing down the South Atlantic after a complicated the doldrums confirmed the situation, that the race was dominated by a leading quartet featuring Armel Le Cléac'h, Vincent Riou, Jean-Pierre Dick and François Gabart leaving Bernard Stamm and Alex Thomson in their wake. As they reached the Roaring Forties, the skippers ahead picked up the pace, resulting in a series of amazing performances. On November 30, François Gabart broke the first 24-hour distance record (482.91 miles). Shortly, after Vincent Riou was forced to abandon and three skippers - Jean-Pierre Dick, Armel le Cléac'h and François Gabart – entered the Indian Ocean together as a tight pack while Bernard Stamm, ranked fourth, lurked behind.

The great escape

On December 10, the MACIF skipper drove the point home by setting the ultimate solo distance record on a monuhull, covering 545 miles in twenty-four hours. Armel Le Cléac'h was the only one able to hold on and the two Frenchmen, positioned at the front of the fleet, built up an impressive gap in only a few days. On December 13, Jean-Pierre Dick was 155 miles behind. 24 hours later, the gap had increased to 300 miles and eventually 500 miles on December 15. The Southern Ocean adventure then turned into a spectacular duel in which the two solo sailors were rarely more than twenty miles apart. At one point within visual contact on several occasions. François Gabart returned to the Atlantic on January 1, securing the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe edition a place in the history book as the first race in which a rookie rounded Cape Horn as the race leader.

François' trick

Leaving the Le Maire Straights behind them, the two frontrunners laboured through a windless hole and Gabart managed to slightly widen the gap, sailing forty miles ahead. On January 5, Le Cléac'h broke the union for the first time since the Amsterdam gate and tacked west his sights set on a ridge of weather. François Gabart kept sailing along his eastern route, taking him to the edge of the Saint Helena high. Demonstrating his strategic acumen, Gabart extended his lead and positioned himself back in front of the Banque Populaire bow. He crossed the Equator five days ahead of Michel Desjoyeaux's record. Despite a tricky Doldrums crossing, Gabart kept warding off Le Cléac'h's attacks throughout his climb back up the North Atlantic. At 29, as he crossed the finish line, he became the youngest Vendée Globe winner ever. Alain Gautier was 30 years old when he won the 1992-1993 edition in 110 days and 2 hours. What a difference a decade makes.

Key figures

Longest distance covered in 24 hours: December 10, 545 miles at an average speed of 22.7 knots.

Number of rankings with Gabart leading: (5 rankings a day): 234

Days spent leading the race: 44 days 20 hours

Les Sables to Equator: 11 days 00 hours 20 min (Jean Le Cam's 2004-2005 record: 10 days 11 hours 28 min)

Equator to Good Hope: 12 days 03 hours 25 min (JP Dick's record: 12 day 02 hour 40min)

Good Hope to Cape Leeuwin: 11 days 06 hours 40 min (new record)

Cape Leeuwin to Cape Horn: 17 days 18 h 35mn (new record)

Cape Horn to Equator: 13 days 19 hours

Equator to Les Sables: 12 days 01 hour 37 minutes

Maximum gap between MACIF and Banque Populaire:

Banque Populaire to MACIF: 263.14 miles on November 28

MACIF to Banque Populaire: 273.99 miles on January 14

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#vg12 – After  77 days, 20 hours and now  just the Vendee Globe leader is just 110 miles from the finish line. Within hours this morning (Sunday, January 27, 2013) the world of sailing and yacht racing is preparing for a historic moment. For the first time, two men solo, nonstop and without assistance, will sail around the world in less than 80 days.

29 knot winds from the south and with gust up to 40 knots and three metre swells are making for heavy going in the final stages of the race. 

The legendary duel between François Gabart (MACIF) and Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) which has raged unabated since the 10th November will finally be concluded. Third ppace in the fleet is expected to finish this afternoon.

What sprint!

After less than 78 days at sea, François Gabart (MACIF) is expected to arrive at the finish line is Les Sables d'Olonne, around 09.30 GMT, a world record breaking race, sailed at breakneck pace. The last 24 hours is no exception as François Gabart (MACIF) puts his foot down in south-westerly wind of 30 knots and has covered 450 miles in the last 24 hours, averaging 18.5 knots.

93 miles behind, Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) is even faster, reaching a top speed of 20 knots and covering 460 miles. It's fast to the last.

The two men will soon enter another world; parties, media requests, emotional reunions, the ground solid under foot and more importantly steak and chips, for Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) at least. François Gabart's (MACIF) first meal on land is yet to be revealed.

Third Place

North of the Azores, Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) in third place is around 1150 miles from Les Sables d'Olonne miles this morning. He is expected to arrive Tuesday evening.

Now 5 days without a keel, Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) remains south of the Azores. He gybed during the night and is heading east in a light wind of 15 knots. He will soon decide if he will continue until the end.

Gentle tradewinds

The race is far from over for those behind. Back in the northern hemisphere after a frustrating and complicated South Atlantic, Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel) 2,680 miles away from the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne, in a stable trade winds northeast 20 knots and 80 miles ahead of Mike Golding (Gamesa). Switzerland's Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) also comes back into the flow and starts to accelerate. The day is, however, much harder for Arnaud Bossières (Akena Verandas) who crossed the equator at 0313 GMT after 77 days and 14 hours of racing. Currently in an east wind of 10-15 knots, he is about to enter the Doldrums. Still 150 miles from the line of demarcation between the two hemispheres, the Spaniard Javier Javier Sanso (Acciona 100% EcoPowered) navigates through a shifty crosswind, in a flow of 15 knots and he should cross this afternoon.

Varied rhythms at the back

Behind Bertrand De Broc (Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM) in a wind of 15 knots, manages to keep a good pace while Tanguy de Lamotte (Initiatives Cœur) is still hampered by a light north wind of only 10 knots. He shows the lowest increase in the last 24 hours covering only 130 miles. Becalmed, he went for a swim in shark infested waters. For Alessandro Di Benedetto (Team Plastique) it is quite the opposite. He is being battered by a north wind blowing 30 knots. Soon the sky will clear and the wind will shift to the south. Even if the sailing conditions improve, the loss of his gennaker, and the small and large spinnaker will slow down the progression of the happy go lucky skipper.

1 - Francois Gabart

[ MACIF ]

at 117 miles from the finish

2 - Armel Le Cléac'h

[ Banque Populaire ]

at 93.3 miles from leader

3 - Alex Thomson

[ Hugo Boss ]

at 1027.3 miles from leader

4 - Jean-Pierre Dick

[ Virbac Paprec 3 ]

at 1050.5 miles from leader

5 - Jean Le Cam

[ SynerCiel ]

at 2563.7 miles from leader

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#vg12 – To stop or continue is the dilemma that Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) continues to battle with. He will make his decision Sunday. Heading towards the west of the Azores in fickle southwest winds of 15-20 knots, moving around to the south this evening, as he approaches the islands it gives Jean-Pierre Dick time to get the measure of the situation. He is assessing his boat and it’s performance with different sail combinations and filled ballasts. Is it stable enough? This is what he must decide. Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) is determined individual and from the outset he was sailing to win but now to simply finish this hardcore race would be a victory in itself. Can he do it?

Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) today on the French version of Vendee Globe LIVE explained his predicament. "I'm in the high, so there's only 12-13 knots of wind, in a situation that's not easy for a boat without her keel. I can't use large sails but the ballasts are full to keep some stability. I've talked to Bilou and Marc Guillemot, who had to experience the same situation in the past. Of course, I'd go faster if I had a keel but right now, I'm not thinking too much about my third place.
I'll see if I can finish the race, if the conditions allow, but I can't take too much risk for myself, or for the boat. I should sail off the Azores coast around the 27th, there should be around 25 knots of westerly wind there and that will help me see how the boat is doing when the sea and the wind are tougher. Then I'll try to make the right decision based on those elements and some people's opinions. So let's wait until the 27th.
Sometimes I feel like I'm windsurfing, you need to completely change the way you work on the boat. I've talked to some boat designers who told me about the calculations they had made, helping me choose what to do and what kind of sail to use. Also, because I've had hook issues, I don't want to use big sails because if they get stuck, the boat would capsize without her keel, and I would end up stuck inside my boat like Jean Le Cam in the last edition."
* It is a sign that the conclusion is imminent as the support teams of François Gabart (MACIF) and Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) arrived today in the sleepy French port of Les Sables d'Olonne, in the Vendee region of France. The port is about to explode into life as tomorrow at 10am the race village will open in eager anticipation of the race winners. The support teams are preparing for the reception of their respective skippers. François Gabart is expected to arrive in the Vendee port on Saturday night. Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire) as it currently stands 6-7 hours later. He will be greeted by a wintry, cold southwest wind, switching to the northwest, into a blustery front, gusting up to 30 knots with rain
Rankings as of Thursday 24 January 2013, 20:00 (FR)
1. MACIF, Francois Gabart, 1013.5 nm to finish
2. Banque Populaire, Armel Le Cleac´h, 101.7 nm to leader
3. Virbac Paprec 3, Jean-Pierre Dick, 675.2 nm
4. HUGO BOSS, Alex Thomson, 728.0 nm
5. SynerCiel, Jean Le Cam, 2204.3 nm
6. Gamesa, Mike Golding, 2223.0 nm
7. Mirabaud, Dominique Wavre, 2659.0 nm
8. AKENA Verandas, Arnaud Boissieres, 2859.8 nm
9. ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered, Javier Sanso, 2918.4 nm
10. Votre Nom Autour du Monde avec EDM Projets, Bertrand de Broc, 3102.3 nm
11. Initiatives-coeur, Tanguy De Lamotte, 3400.6 nm
12. Team Plastique, Alessandro Di Benedetto, 4267.8 nm

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#VG2012 - As another yacht retires from the Vendee Globe from a keel failure - as happened earlier this week to Jean-Pierre Dick's Vorbac-Paprec 3 - Elaine Bunting asks on her Yachting World blog what can be done to work out the flaws.

It's an "immensely complicated" subject, as she points out, "but the simple place to start is that no one - no designer, no engineer and certainly no sailor - wishes to take big risks in this area".

VG yachts have used a variety of materials for their keels, each with their drawbacks in different conditions, so it's impossible to pin the blame on one style over another.

There are also numerous areas where things can go wrong, from design and manufacturing to attachment and other structural problems.

One possible solution suggested by Bunting is to declare a one-design keel which puts none at a disadvantage and would ensure a studier 'failsafe' option - but whether the competing skippers are ready to make the leap is still up in the air.

Yachting World has much more on the story HERE.

Published in Vendee Globe

#vg12 – Despite losing his keel with 2,000 miles to the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne, Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3) has not abandoned and is working out what to do next. "The competitor and the sailor do not agree," Dick said. "Should I continue in a degraded state or abandon and go and hide in the Azores."

Dick described what happened on Vendee Globe TV: "It happened a little before midnight," he said. "There were already noises in the boat, rather strong and quite screeching. I thought it was the sound of keel jack but in fact the head of keel was already damaged. All of a sudden there was a popping noise. Fortunately, I was between the outside and inside, there were several squalls and then there was a new squall happening. The boat was lying on its side in a second I realised that the keel had broken. I was able to quickly get to the mainsail winch to ease the mainsail a little. The boat began to luff and went down quickly on the water. There was certainly a moment of doubt about the boat, luckily it did not flip over. After a few minutes I was able to ease the solent (sail) and furl it. The boat was safe enough to put in more ballast and take a risk and further reduce the canvas.

"It is a shame to lose the keel at this stage of the race. About the outcome, I do not know yet, we'll see what will happen if I continue running or not. Currently, I am still in the race, I did not give up. The mast is there, as are the sails, the boat floats and I took a little advice from a specialist in the field, called Marco (Guillemot). I called him and he gave me some tips. For now I have a lot of ballast filled in my boat and I think I'm in good conditions. The boat is safe enough not to capsize if there is gust of wind. It is always impressive is true but the boat always moves between 11 and 12 knots. We are going at least to the Azores at first."

Marc Guillemot rewrote the rulebook and received a hero's welcome at the finish after losing his keel with 1,000 miles to go. But like Dick, Roland Jourdain, was further from home, headed to the Azores and retired after losing his keel whilst clear in second place in the last edition in 2008-09.

Dick was still making good speed in the third place and continuing on his normal route in 16-18 northeasterlies, 200 miles ahead of Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss). But the challenge will come if he is faced with bigger winds and particularly rougher, cross seas, that he could face, especially in the Bay of Biscay.

The loss of Virbac-Paprec's keel sparked shock and worry among the fleet and debate about the durability of these IMOCA Open 60 boats. It is not a new debate, but as each generation becomes faster and more powerful and at the same time seeks to pare down the weight, safety is ever more of an issue.

"A fabricated keel has the life span of oneVendée Globe, period," Mike Golding (Gamesa) told Vendee Globe TV. "If it makes the finish it is a design success, if it breaks it is a design failure. Unfortunately we have seen far too many design failures with fabricated steel keels. I championed several years ago changing the rule when I was president of the (IMOCA) technical committee, I tried to change the rule to have forged steel keels, which is pretty much the only way of guaranteeing, well not guaranteeing, but reducing keel fatigue failures like this. Unfortunately the votes missed by 3 or 4 votes out of a hundred people, as a result we have still got the fabricated forged and carbon variations. For me I chose to switch to a carbon keel, so I'm on a carbon keel, theoretically if the carbon keel is good, it is good for the life of the boat, theoretically [laughs]."

Golding knows more than most about finishing a Vendée Globe without a keel, having become the first man to do it, in the 2004-05 edition, when he lost his keel with 50 miles to go to the finish line but still managed to finish third. But he did not sound optimistic for the chances of Dick's more long range position. "In 2005 I was 50 miles from the finish, my immediate reaction when I lost the keel was that this is the end of it, you cannot sail the boat," he said. "But quite quickly I worked out that with ballast I could sail the boat, and even though it was upwind to the finish, in fact it was nearer 90 miles by the time I sailed it, because I had to tack upwind to get to Les Sables d'Olonne, the boat will sail. But I think the real problem is it is quite different being close to the finish like that, and in the position where Jean-Pierre is, he is a long way out and a long way from the finish and the reality is the boat is not very safe without the keel.

"I think everyone will be looking down in their keel pits and making sure everything is the way, or at least looks the way it should be. The trouble with these fabricated steel failures is there is pretty much no warning, you don't really see anything, you don't hear anything, you don't feel anything, and then right at the end it tends to fail, it tends to release, it bends massively before it breaks. Probably Jean-Pierre mentioned in his report he felt a gust of wind and he went out and checked the sails, the reality is I recall exactly the same experience, in hindsight I don't think the wind increased at all, there was no gust, the keel was bending and then the bang is when it finally releases. So what happened to JP [Jean-Pierre] sounds extremely similar to what happened to me, I ended up quite confused about why the boat was heeling so much when the keel was seemingly in the right position."

The skipper with most to gain from Dick's loss, Alex Thomson, who should move up into third place in the next two days, expressed his sympathy and shock. He also called for changes to the IMOCA class. "I am shocked and gutted at the news that JP Dick has lost his keel," Thomson wrote.  "JP has sailed an awesome race and does not deserve this to happen to him. He has worked so hard and maintained his 3rd position despite having to climb the mast countless times. I am thankful that it has happened here and not in the south although JP will have to go through some significant weather to get to the Azores, potentially up to 40 knots on the 26th.

"I never thought we would see a keel failure on this race.  IMOCA has of course a history with keel failures but I really thought all those problems were behind us.  It will be interesting to review the failures of Virbac and Safran (Marc Guillemot's boat which lost it's titanium keel on the first night of this edition), both penned from the same designer (Verdier-VPLP) to see exactly why these failures have happened.

"When I joined the class in 2003, I was a little surprised that I had to change the keel on my first boat because it had exceeded its mileage of 80,000 miles. Since then people have been building keels that last only one round the world race to save a few kilos of weight. I came from the world that a keel lasted for the life of the boat and that is where we need to get to. In 2009 IMOCA brought in some regulations to make keels safer but it obviously has not been enough.

"Enough is enough, the keels need to be made of solid steel and last the life of the boat, before someone gets hurt."

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#vg2102 – With a third place finish in the Vendée Globe apparently almost guaranteed, Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3) heard his dream break with an abrupt bang before midnight on Monday night as Virbac Paprec 3 lost her keel with just over 2,000 of the 28,000 mile race left.

Dick previously partnered Ireland's Damian Foxall in the Barcelona World Race when the pair won the round the world race in a thrilling finish in 2008.

With a squall coming there was a great risk of capsize after losing the four tonne keel (providing approximately half the weight of the boat and most of its stability) and it took all the experience and expertise of the 47-year-old skipper to avoid the worst.

He managed to ease the pressure on the sails, turn the boat running downwind and fully fill the ballast tanks to stabilise the boat. The immediate danger has passed but he is still very vulnerable.

Until that point he was continuing to close on the front two and still had faint hopes of catching them.

Dick, still technically in third place on the ranking because he has not retired, is heading for shelter at the Azores, still over 1,000 miles away on Monday morning. He is on a starboard tack in a northeast wind of 20 knots. He cannot take a direct route at the moment and must head north-east for two days, but in 450 miles he should pick up some undisturbed south-west wind and will be able to head directly to the Azores archipelago. He is expected to arrive there in six days, which will be a difficult time because he was expected to have arrived in Les Sables by then.

The skipper from Nice is in third Vendée Globe. He finished sixth in 2004-05 but had to retire from the 2008-09 race with broken rudders after hitting a UFO.

Dick's misfortune is part of the thread that runs through the history of the Vendée Globe. There is no good time to suffer a failure but there is something especially cruel about it happening so close to the finish. The second edition of the race in 1992-93 saw the first such cruel blow as Philippe Poupon, in second and chasing the leader Alain Gautier, dismasted. But Poupon was still able to limp home in third the place. The line has continued to the modern day and Roland Jourdain lost his keel bulb whilst clear in second place in the last edition in 2008-09 and was also forced to seek shelter at the Azores, where he assessed and then retired. Such keel failures failures obey only the laws of physics and chance not those of merit.

Already in this race, the North Atlantic claimed two keels in the first two weeks of this race, when Marc Guillemot's titanium keel broke off on the first night and then Jeremie Beyou suffered hydraulic failure of the canting mechanism and almost lost the whole keel in the second week.

Virbac Paprec 3 was one of the six new boats in this edition and one of the four VPLP-Verdier designed boats. Many, including Alex Thomson, had said they would be too light and fragile to make it around the world. But that has appeared wide of the mark. Vincent Riou (PRB) was forced out in the second week of the race, in the South Atlantic, after unluckily hitting a harbour buoy that drifted and submerged 500 miles off the coast of Brazil. But the VPLP-Verdier boats have continued to form the leading pack from start to finish and either MACIF or Banque Populaire have led for most of the race, setting an unrelenting pace that could smash the old record by a week if they finish in 77 days on January 26. Dick was dropped by them in the Indian Ocean and soon after made his first of several trips up the mast to make fixes, but he has been their permanent shadow ever since.

Thomson into third

Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) who could now achieve both his targets of third place and 80 days around the world. But Dick's sudden failure will have sent a shudder through him and the entire fleet and underlined the old Vendée cliché that 'to finish first (or anywhere) first you have to finish.' The race is not over until you cross the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne.

Only yesterday on Vendee Globe TV, Thomson had talked about keeping up the pressure in case one of those ahead had a problem. But he said he would not wish any misfortune on anyone: "At the stage of the race we're at now, I would be very sad for anybody who has a problem, I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

Thomson, is still in fourth place, 236 miles behind Dick, 562 miles behind second-placed Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) and 657 miles from the leader, Francois Gabart (MACIF). But he has a huge 1,627-mile lead on those behind him, with Mike Golding (Gamesa), who passed Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel) overnight, albeit by only a mile again.

Golding (Gamesa) will understand Dick's shock more than most, after losing his keel with 50 miles to go in the 2004-05 edition, where he limped in third after the closest race in Vendée Globe history.

Le Cléac'h continued to erode Gabart's lead, taking back almost 50 miles in the last 24 hours. The 0400hrs ranking he was 95 miles behind, but Gabart had found the better breeze in the last hour, averaging 15.6 knots to Le Cléac'h's 11.2 knots, although as through the night, Le Cléac'h's better angle and VMG was nullifying that. After what has befallen Dick their finish will be even more tense.

There was some drama at the back of the fleet too as eleventh-placed Tanguy de Lamotte (Initiatives cœur), suffered a halyard failure and watched his huge Code 0 sail drop into the water. "The road does not end, she extendable," he wrote this moring. "The second halyard broke and the code 0 is passed in water. I had to change the sail before dark and I visually checked the halyard all the time since and noticed nothing suspicious...I was going to write you a nice email saying that it was a beautiful day with albatross and flying fish: it's nice to have two at the same time. It will be necessary that I go up the mast as soon as possible to return to retrieve the headsail halyard, meantime, I rest and will do it tomorrow."

Published in Vendee Globe
Tagged under

#vg12 – Even though he thought he was going to be able to fix the hull of his boat, Vincent Riou found himself unable to find a solution regarding the shroud underneath his outrigger. It was therefore just not possible to consider sailing in the Southern Ocean and Vincent Riou's decision came this morning: He's surrendering in this 2012 Vendée Globe and retiring from the race.

Vincent Riou will not complete his 2013 circumnavigation. The PRB skipper had came up with a possible way to repair the hull of his boat, the shroud underneath the outrigger was a much more serious problem. Riou started working on his hull on Satruday afernoon while Denis Glehen and the rest of the shore crew were brainstorming to find a solution for the French skipper. Unfortunately, they all had to resign themselves to admit it was impossible for Vincent to secure that shroud underneath the outrigger by himself with the equipment he had on board. Sailing through the Southern Ocean with a mast that could break any time was simply not reasonable. Vincent's decision came this morning: He's surrendering in this 2012 Vendée Globe, his third, and retiring from the race.

An emotional Riou announced it with tears in his eyes. « My decision will be based on whether I can sail through the Southern Ocean in safe conditions or not », the French skipper had explained a few minutes after the collision. These conditions cannot be guaranteed and he PRB skipper is therefore sailing to Brazil where he will repair his monohull. He should reach Salvador de Bahia in three days.

Resigning to retire from the race because of a collision with a FO (floating object) is a very tough situation as the disappointment is mixed with a feeling of injustice for the sailor who so far had sailed his monohull very carefully. The winner of the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe knew he still had a long way to go and was aware of how important it was to enter the Southern Ocean with a boat intact that could face extreme sea and wind conditions. The race is now over for the PRB skipper, one of the favourites, and he will now no longer be battling against the other competitors in the South.

The Vendée Globe is one of the most demanding races in the world of sailing billed as the Everest of the seas. It is also arguably the most beautiful, and sometimes the toughest, too. This weekend is definitely an unfair one for Riou and his PRB boat.

Vincent Riou:

« It was such a tough decision, but it's also the most reasonable one. I had had this goal, the Vendée Globe, in mind for years and I spent so much energy on this project. I'm terribly disappointed, and I'm also thinking of my partners, PRB of course, but also Bouyer Leroux and Mercedes. PRB has been supporting me for ten years, they've trusted me. Even though what happened, the collision and the damage to the boat, is not my fault, I can't help feeling guilty. I felt really good in the race, our boats have such an impressive potential that I know the fight in the South will be completely different this year. The bar is will be very high and I would have loved to be part of that fight. A game that I would have died to be part of! »

PRB CEO Jean-Jacques Laurent:

« The entire PRB team is behind Vincent. He was doing so well in the race but nature chose to stop him. These damages to the boat definitely give us a sense of unfinished business because Vincent was preparing for the South with a lot of determination. Our hearts go out to him. »

Published in Solo Sailing
Tagged under

#vg12 – At 0700hrs this morning, a front runner in the Vendee Globe race Vincent Riou (PRB) warned his shore team that he had collided with a floating object.

The skipper, who was at his navigation station at the time was able to get on the deck immediately after the impact and see that the object that had struck PRB was a large metal buo).

Following the collision, Riou found that the hull of his boat was torn and delaminated for about one metre.

The impact was on the starboard side of the boat and the torn area is three meters from the bow.

Riou was not injured in the collision. He will wait until daybreak to assess the damage and the possibility of repair.

Conditions in the area are good and the wind between 12 and 15 knots.

At the moment of impact, Riou immediately called the race office in order to report the position of the buoy to other competitors.

Riou, the winner of the 2004-05 Vendée Globe, rescuing hero of the 2008-09 edition and one of the favourites for this race has suffered a serious blow in the south Atlantic. A statement from his team said that Riou was uninjured after he had collided with a metal buoy but that the impact had damaged the bow of PRB:

"At 0700hrs (French time) on Saturday morning, Vincent Riou (PRB) warned his shore team that he had collided with a floating object. The skipper was at his navigation station at the time was able to get on the deck immediately after the impact and see that the object that had struck PRB was a harbour buoy (a large metal buoy).

"Following the collision, Riou found that the hull of his boat was torn and delaminated for about one metre. The impact was on the starboard side of the boat and the torn area is three metres from the bow. Riou was not injured in the collision. He will wait until daybreak to assess the damage and the possibility of repair. Conditions in the area are good and the wind between 12 and 15 knots. At the moment of impact, Riou immediately called the race office in order to report the position of the buoy to other competitors."

Riou is about 550 miles east of the north coast of Brazil and 450 miles due north of the Trindade Islands. He was in third place at the 0500hrs (French time) rankings, just 69.1 miles behind the leader Armel Le Cléac'h, (Banque Populaire), having been in the lead group since they started from Les Sables d'Olonne two weeks ago. It was an otherwise quiet night for the fleet with no change in the rankings in the morning.

The 40-year-old Brittany skipper is famous for his skill and inscrutability but you need some luck to finish a Vendée Globe let alone win one. It these hidden dangers, rogue containers and buoys that are not where they are supposed to be, are what the skippers fear most. Speaking before the start Riou said that sonar was not a practical solution:

"We did some research with an institute in France on a sonar system but it is not practical because it is half the weight of the whole boat and it uses lots of power," he said. "It needs a lot of energy and the boat is very fast and so to use a sonar to predict 200m ahead of the boat when you are travelling at 20 knots you need a very powerful system and it's impossible to find one that is not too heavy. You have to be realistic these kind of devices are so impractical we are not going to install them and so we can't even consider them. It's too heavy and it's uses too much power."

Riou has faced greater dangers than this in the Vendée Globe. In the 2008-09 edition his older rival, Jean Le Cam, lost his keel bulb and capsized 200 miles west of Cape Horn and it was Riou who turned and reached him first as fears for Le Cam's life grew. Le Cam had spent 18 hours trapped and brave five-degree water and 12 foot waves to swim to Riou, who got as close to Le Cam's boat as he dared. In the process Riou is thought to have clipped his outrigger on Le Cam's upturned keel and just 36 hours later, having continued the race with Le Cam on board, Riou was dismasted after just rounding Cape Horn. He was later awarded joint third place by the organisers.

Riou's PRB is a new VPLP-Verdier-designed boat, one of four who are dominating this race and which before his collision were in the top four top positions in the fleet. The four boats are all lighter and faster than previous generations, with PRB's thought to be the lightest at 7.5 tonnes.

More than anyone Riou will know that any repairs must be secure enough to withstand what the fleet faces as they prepare to drop down into the Roaring Forties and the mountainous seas of the Southern Ocean.

Published in Solo Sailing
Tagged under
Quba Sails have teamed up with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust to launch an exclusive Ebay Charity Auction, and the prize up for grabs is an exclusive Quba designed and individually tailored jacket and a sailing bag, both made from parts of the sails of Ellen's record breaking yacht Kingfisher.

The auction will run from the 7th – 16th January, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. The charity, founded by Ellen in 2003, takes young people aged between 8-24 sailing to help them regain their confidence on their way to recovery from cancer, leukemia and other serious illness.

The exclusive items which incorporate parts of the original sail's of Ellen MacArthur's record breaking Open 60 yacht Kingfisher are only available through the auction. Ellen famously completed the epic 24,000 mile Vendée Globe, a gruelling non-stop, solo round the world race, in 94 days and 4 hours in 2001 onboard Kingfisher, securing her place in the record books as the youngest person to complete the race, at just 24 years old.

A further five jackets and twenty bags will be available for purchase from the beginning of February, with proceeds from the sale of these items continuing to support the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

Each jacket and bag is hand made, individually numbered and signed by Dame Ellen MacArthur. Ellen commented, ""The Vendee Globe was a dream for me, and my first circumnavigation of the planet. It's wonderful to think that 10 years on that incredible journey can continue to influence lives, though this time through the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. It costs the Trust £500 to take one young person in recovery from cancer sailing on a four day yacht trip, but the result of that experience for those young people is not only confidence building, but in many cases life changing. We are therefore really excited to be working alongside Quba Sails on this project!"

James Marshall at Quba Sail's explains why they are proud to be supporting the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. "At Quba we specialise in taking old sailcloth and giving it a new lease of life. To be working with Ellen on this project and to be able to help a charity as worthy as the Trust just seemed like a perfect fit for us. We hope we can raise some impressive funds for the Trust through the auction".

The range will be available for viewing on the Quba Sail stand at The Tullett Prebon London Boat Show.

To place your bid, please visit the auction on Ebay. http://tinyurl.com/quba-emct-e-bay-auction

Published in News Update
Page 25 of 26

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

Featured Sailing School

INSS sidebutton

Featured Clubs

dbsc mainbutton
Howth Yacht Club
Kinsale Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
Royal Cork Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht club
Royal Saint George Yacht Club

Featured Brokers

leinster sidebutton

Featured Webcams

Featured Associations

ISA sidebutton
ICRA
isora sidebutton

Featured Marinas

dlmarina sidebutton

Featured Chandleries

CHMarine Afloat logo
https://afloat.ie/resources/marine-industry-news/viking-marine

Featured Sailmakers

northsails sidebutton
uksails sidebutton
watson sidebutton

Featured Blogs

W M Nixon - Sailing on Saturday
podcast sidebutton
BSB sidebutton
wavelengths sidebutton
 

Please show your support for Afloat by donating