Vendée Globe, two weeks to the start of the most extreme regatta there is

If there is one regatta that justifiably deserves the appellation of the Everest of Sailing this is the Vende Globe, the solo round-the-world race, nonstop and unassisted, on Imoca 60s. It starts and finishes in Les Sables d’Olonne, and sails around the world via the great capes of Good Hope, Leuwin and Horn, for a course over 25,000 miles long. The Vendée Globe record belongs to Armel Le Cleac’h, with 74 days, 3 hours, 35minutes and 46 seconds, set on January 19, 2017. In contrast, the 2021 edition, winner Yannick Bestaven, was a bit slower.

Vendée Globe 2024 – 40 skippers at the start

At the start of the next edition, which will start on November 10, there will be 40 skippers, including 6 women, and departing for his second round-the-world race will also be the Italian Giancarlo Pedote, with his Prysmian Ocean Racing. The Vendée Globe 2024 promises to be interesting in so many ways, starting with the list of favorites, at least 5 or 6, and continuing with the many latest-generation Imoca 60s that will be seen at the start. By now since the 2016-2017 edition, the Imoca 60 class has opened to foils, in a version designed for ocean sailing. A technological transition that has not been without obstacles and setbacks for the new Imoca boats, but at the end of the day they have proven to be on average faster than the classic dinghy boats despite the fact that at times there have been problems with the reliability of the craft. The 2017 and 2021 editions were dominated in the rankings by foil boats. However, it will also be interesting to follow the adventure of Jean Le Can, who has focused instead on a new but classic dinghy hull, still betting on the effectiveness of that type of solution especially for the supposed better performance in light or very strong winds. So there will be many points of interest, for a regatta that over the years has gradually become less of an adventure and more of a sporting challenge at the pinnacle of professional ocean sailing. There are certainly still many participants who do it for the sake of around-the-world adventure, but in general the modern Vendée Globe has changed and has truly become the pinnacle of a top ocean sailor’s career.

Vendée Globe 2024 – Follow along with The Sailing Newspaper

The Sailing Newspaper will be at the start of the regatta, and will follow the Vende Globe 2024 with many in-depth reports, on our website and in the print magazine. And not only that, we are preparing something else, in “GDV style,” to tell you everything there is to know about the most extreme round-the-world race there is. We will tell you what soon, don’t miss the updates on our channels!

Mauro Giuffrè