The Vendée Globe 2024-25 is the one for records. The tenth edition of the legendary solo, non-stop round the world trip has the participation of up to 40 sailors representing 11 countries. It is the most international fleet in its history. There are 14 non-French skippers who will take the start next Sunday in Les Sables d’Olonne. No Spaniard will face this great challenge to take over from Didac Costa, the only national sailor who can boast of having completed the Vendée twice.
74
days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds
It is the fastest time around the world, achieved by Armel Le Cléac’h in the eighth edition
It is also expected to be one of the most competitive editions. The sporting level is especially high, with seven skippers as the big favorites and another ten (or more) who could qualify for the top ten. At least, on paper. Because surprises can be multiple, in this regatta the skill of the skippers and the effective design of the boats are not the only factors that come into play and the first objective for everyone is always to overcome setbacks to cross the finish line. in Les Sables d’Olonne.
Charlie Dalin, during training.
seven untouchables
The undisputed and unavoidable favorite is Charlie Dalin. He crossed the finish line in first place in the 2021 edition and finished second overall after applying time compensation for several sailors. Dalin has since won the Vendée-Arctique (2022), the Rolex Fastnet Race (2023) and the New York-Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne (2024). And their new Verdier boat, the ‘MACIF Santé Prévoyance’, has impressed since its launch.
Equally impressive is the record of Thomas Ruyant (‘VULNERABLE’). He won the last two Transat Jacques Vabre doubles (2021, 2023) and the Route du Rhum solo (2022).
It’s also in the pools Jeremy Beyouwhich faces its fifth consecutive campaign in the Vendée Globe and has had the assistance of the great Franck Cammas to prepare its new boat Manuard, named ‘Charal’.
The ‘Paprec Arkéa’ by Yoann Richomme.
Two newcomers join this trio: Yoann Richomme and the British Sam Goodchild. Yoann Richomme He sails under the colors of ‘Paprec Arkéa’ and is the winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the Route du Rhum (in Class 40), in addition to having won two transatlantic regattas in IMOCA (Retour à la Base in 2023, and The Transat last spring). Sam Goodchildfor his part, has two podiums (third in the Transat Jacques Vabre and in the Retour à la Base) and is champion of the IMOCA Globe Series with his ‘VULNERABLE’ (yes, there are two ‘VULNERABLE’ boats, the one from Goodchild and that of Ruyant, both teammates in the TR Racing team and ambassadors of a campaign about people’s vulnerability).
This favorites list must also include German Boris Hermann (‘Malizia -Seaexplorer’) and the British Sam Davies (‘Initiatives-Cœur’), two of the sailors who have traveled the most nautical miles since the last Vendée Globe. Hermann has been on the podium in The Ocean Race (3rd), The Transat CIC (2nd) and New York-Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne (2nd). Sam Davies tasted the glory of the IMOCA class podium for the first time last spring (3rd in The Transat CIC) and is looking for a kind of revenge, four years after his forced retirement in Cape Town.
The British Sam Davies.
Among the next group of top opponents, stand out Yannick Bestaven (‘Maître Coq V’), winner of the test in 2021 with a time of 80 days, 03 hours, 44 minutes and 46 seconds, and the super experienced ocean sailor Nicolas Lunven (‘HOLCIM-PRB’), who has two victories in the Solitarire du Figaro and three participations in the Volvo Ocean Race and is now venturing into his first Vendée.
The great Jean Le Cam, without foils
A total of 24 of the IMOCAs – the ocean-going boats competed in the Vendée – carry foilswhich gives them a competitive advantage in terms of speed, and these are precisely the ones who line up as favorites. But between the 16 traditional keelboats There are also some great patterns, like the mythical Jean Le Camwho faces his sixth participation in the solo round-the-world trip with a new boat (‘Tout commence en Finistère – Armor-lux’). Apart from this charismatic French sailor, most of them are first-timers in this great adventure, with the exception of Fabrice Amedeo (third participation) and Conrad Colman, Manuel Cousin and Éric Bellion, for whom it is the second Vendée.
The Swiss Oliver Heer faces his first Vendée.
The tour
A total of 24,300 nautical miles (45,000 kilometers) is the theoretical distance faced by the 40 sailors enrolled in the tenth Vendée Globe, in a circumnavigation from west to east through the three great capes: Good Hope (in southern Africa), Leeuwin (in southern of Australia) and Hornos (in the south of Chile), and with departure and arrival in Les Sables d’Olonne. However, many competitors in previous editions have often traveled more than 28,000 nautical miles (over 52,000 kilometers), dealing with wind and waves, dealing with anticyclones and storms, dealing with the fearsome waters of the Great South and possible icebergs, dealing with yourself and your demons…
The solo, non-stop and unassisted round-the-world trip was held for the first time in 1989 and since then 200 daring people have dared to stand up to their demons and take the starting line of one or more of its nine editions held to date. date. Only 114 of them have managed to cross the finish line. How many will get it in the tenth edition? And can anyone beat the current record? 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds is the minimum time used to date for the circumnavigation, a record held by Armel Le Cléac’h since the eighth edition.
#ready #competitive #Vendée
