Wikipedia

Vendée Globe

Vendée Globe
VendeeGlobeRaceRoute.png
The route of the Vendée Globe race
First held1989
Typesingle-handed non-stop round-the-world race
ClassesIMOCA 60
StartLes Sables-d'Olonne
FinishLes Sables-d'Olonne
Length24,000 nmi (44,000 km)
ChampionsBanque Populaire VIII
Armel Le Cléac'h
Most titlesMichel Desjoyeaux (2)
Websitewww.vendeeglobe.org

The Vendée Globe is a single-handed (solo) non-stop round the world yacht race.[1][2] The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989,[3] and since 1992 has taken place every four years. It is named after the Département of Vendée, in France, where the race starts and ends. The Vendée Globe is considered an extreme quest of individual endurance and the ultimate test in ocean racing.[4][5]

The race

History

The race was founded as "The Globe Challenge" in 1989 by French yachtsman Philippe Jeantot.[6] Jeantot had competed in the BOC Challenge in 1982–83 and 1986–87, winning the 60-foot class ("Class I") both races. The BOC Challenge was sailed in stages with sailors being given the chance to rest and repair their boats at ports around the world.[6] Dissatisfied with the race's format, he decided to set up a new round-the-world non-stop race, which he felt would be the ultimate challenge for single-handed sailors.[7]

The first race was run in 1989–90, and was won by Titouan Lamazou; Jeantot himself took part, and placed fourth.[8] The next race was in 1992–93; and it has since then been run every four years. The inaugural race included 11 Frenchmen, one South African (Bertie Reed) and one American (Mike Plant).[9]

Yachts

Hommage au Vendée Globe by Raphaël Toussaint, 1999

The race is open to monohull yachts conforming to the Open 60 class criteria. Prior to 2004, the race was also open to Open 50 boats. The Open classes are unrestricted in certain aspects, but a box rule governs parameters such as overall length, draught, appendages and stability, as well as numerous other safety features.


The race presents significant challenges; most notably the severe wind and wave conditions in the Southern Ocean, the long unassisted duration of the race, and the fact that the course takes competitors far from the reach of any normal emergency response. A significant proportion of the entrants usually retire, and in the 1996–97 race Canadian Gerry Roufs was lost at sea.[10]

Course

The race starts and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the Département of Vendée, in France; both Les Sables d’Olonne and the Vendée Conseil Général are official race sponsors.[11] The course is essentially a circumnavigation along the clipper route: from Les Sables d’Olonne, down the Atlantic Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope; then clockwise around Antarctica, keeping Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port; then back to Les Sables d’Olonne.[12] The race generally covers approximately 24,000 nautical miles (44,000 km) and runs from November to February, timed to place the competitors in the Southern Ocean during the austral summer.[13]

Additional waypoints may be set in the sailing instructions for a particular race, in order to ensure safety relative to ice conditions, weather, etc.[14]

The competitors may stop at anchor, but may not draw alongside a quay or another vessel; they may receive no outside assistance, including customised weather or routing information. The only exception is that a competitor who has an early problem may return to the start for repairs and then restart the race, as long the restart is within 10 days of the official start.


Qualification

To mitigate the risks, competitors are required to undergo medical and survival courses. They must also be able to demonstrate prior racing experience; either a completed single-handed trans-oceanic race or the completion of a previous Vendée Globe. The qualifying race must have been completed on the same boat as the one the sailor will race in the Vendée Globe; or the competitor must complete an additional trans-oceanic observation passage, of not less than 2,500 miles (4,000 km), at an average speed of at least 7 knots (13 km/h), with his or her boat.

Race Editions

1st Edition: 1989–1990

Main article: 1989–1990 Vendée Globe

2nd Edition: 1992–1993

Main article: 1992–1993 Vendée Globe

3rd Edition: 1996–1997

Main article: 1996–1997 Vendée Globe

4th Edition: 2000–2001

Main article: 2000–2001 Vendée Globe

5th Edition: 2004–2005

Main article: 2004–2005 Vendée Globe

6th Edition: 2008–2009

Main article: 2008–2009 Vendée Globe

7th Edition: 2012–2013

Main article: 2012–2013 Vendée Globe

8th Edition: 2016–2017

Main article: 2016–2017 Vendée Globe

9th Edition: 2020–2021

Main article: 2020–2021 Vendée Globe

Results

Overall winners

  • Titouan Lamazou (FRA) Écureuil d'Aquitaine II
    1989–1990 Winner

  • Alain Gautier
    1992–1993 Winner

  • Christophe Auguin (FRA)
    Geodis
    Winner of the 1996–1997 Winner

  • Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
    PRB
    2000–2001 Winner

  • Vincent Riou (FRA)
    PRB
    2004–2005 Winner

  • Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA)
    Foncia
    2008–2009 Winner

  • François Gabart (FRA)
    Macif
    2012–2013 Winner

  • Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA)
    Banque populaire VIII
    2016–2017 Winner

  • Yannick Bestaven (FRA)
    Maître CoQ IV
    2020–2021 Winner

Overall winners' times

Ed Year Skipper Boat Name 24hr Run Equator Cape of Good Hope Leeuwin Cape Horn Equator Finish Line
1 1989–1990 Titouan Lamazou Écureuil d'Aquitaine II 304 nm 109 d 08 h 48 m 50 min
2 1992–1993 Alain Gautier Bagages Superior 339 nm 110 d 02 h 22 m 35 min
3 1996–1997 Christophe Auguin Geodis 105 d 20 h 31 min
4 2000–2001 Michel Desjoyeaux PRB 093 d 3 h 57 min
5 2004–2005 Vincent Riou PRB 10 d 12 h 13 min 24 d 2 h 18 min 36 d 9 h 48 min 56 d 15 h 13 min 72 d 11 h 24 min 086 d 32 h 13 min
6 2008–2009 Michel Desjoyeaux Foncia 466 nm 13 d 15 h 41 min 27 d 0 h 34 min 37 d 31 h 23 min 56 d 15 h 8 min 71 d 17 h 12 min 084 d 3 h 9 min
7 2012–2013 François Gabart Macif 534 nm 11 d 00 h 20 min 23 d 03 h 43 min 34 d 10 h 23 min 52 d 06 h 18 min 66 d 01 h 39 min 078 d 02 h 16 min
8 2016–2017 Armel Le Cléac'h Banque Populaire VIII 09 d 09 h 56 min 18 d 03 h 30 min 28 d 20 h 12 min 47 d 00 h 32 min 61 d 12 h 21 min 074 d 03 h 36 min
9 2020–2021 Yannick Bestaven Maître CoQ IV 481.8 (7th) 35 d 01 h 25 min 55 d 00 h 22 min 69 d 13 h 16 min 080 d 03 h 44m

Furthest distance covered in 24 hours

Edition Year Skipper Boat Name nautical miles/24h
1 1989–1990 Titouan Lamazou Écureuil d'Aquitaine II 304
2 1992–1993 Alain Gautier Bagages Superior 339
3 1996–1997 Yves Parlier Aquitaine Innovations 374
4 2000–2001 Dominique Wavre Union bancaire privée 430
5 2004–2005 Roland Jourdain Sill et Veolia 439
6 2008–2009 Michel Desjoyeaux Foncia 466
7 2012–2013 François Gabart Macif 534
8 2016–2017 Alex Thomson Hugo Boss 536
9 2020–2021 TBC

Winners' participation and equipment

Skipper Previous Participation and Boat Information
Year Skipper Previous
Start/Finish (Best)		 Name of Boat Sail No. Designer Builder Year Launched Notes Ref.
1989–1990 Titouan Lamazou (FRA) N/A Écureuil d'Aquitaine II Luc Bouvet
Olivier Petit		 Chantier Capitaine Flint 1989 [15]
1992–1993 Alain Gautier (FRA) 1 / 1 6th Bagages Superior Finot-Conq CDK Technologies (FRA) 1992 Aluminum Construction [16]
1996–1997 Christophe Auguin (FRA) Never Geodis Finot-Conq JMV Industries (FRA) 1994 [17]
2000–2001 Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) Never PRB 2 FRA 85 Finot-Conq Mag (FRA) 2000 [18]
2004–2005 Vincent Riou (FRA) Never PRB 2 FRA 85 Finot-Conq Mag (FRA) 2000 [18]
2008–2009 Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) 1 / 1 (1st) Foncia FRA 101 Farr Yacht Design CDK Technologies (FRA) 2007 [19]
2012–2010 François Gabart (FRA) Never Macif FRA 301 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA)
Green Marine (GBR)		 2011 [20]
2016–2017 Armel Le Cléac'h (FRA) 2 / 2 (2nd) Banque Populaire VIII FRA 18 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA) 2015 [21]
2020–2021 Yannick Bestaven (FRA) 1 / 0 Maître Coq IV FRA 17 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA) 2015-03-02 Hydrofoil [22]


Starters, finishers and nationalities

1989–90 1992–93 1996–97 2000–01 2004–05 2008–09 2012–13 2016–17 2020–21 Total
Finishers
Total 7 7 6 15 13 15 11 18 92
7 5 6 13 10 9 5 11 66
Male 7 7 4 14 11 13 11 18 85
Male - First Time 7 5 4 12 8 7 5 11 59
Female 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 7
Female – First Time 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 7
Starters
Total 13 14 16 24 20 30 20 29 33 199
First Time 13 10 13 14 12 16 5 14 18 115
Male 13 14 14 22 18 28 19 29 27 184
Male - First Time 13 10 11 13 10 14 5 14 13 103
Female 0 0 2 2 2 2 1 0 6 15
Female – First Time 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 5 12
Starter Age
Youngest 27* 30* 28 24 29 25 27 23 27 27
Oldest 46* 64* 57 59 49 58 57 66 61 57
Mean 38* 39* 38 39 39 41 42 44 43 40
Starters' Nationality
1 0.5 1.5
1 1 2
1 1 2
1 0.5 1 2.5
1 1 1 1 1 1 6
1 1
11 8.5 11 12.5 12.5 17 12.5 20 22 127
2 2 4 3 7 3 1 4 26
1.5 1.5
1 1 1 3
1 2 0.5 1 4.5
1 1
1 1 2
1 1
0.5 0.5
1 1
1 1
1 1
0.5 2.5 1 2 2 1 1 10
1 1 1 1.5 4.5

Note * Some sailors' dates of birth unknown

See also

IMOCA races
  • The Barcelona World Race , a non-stop two handed race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class.
  • Route du Rhum
  • The Velux 5 Oceans Race , a stopping solo race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class previously known as the BOC Challenge, later as Around Alone.
  • The Ocean Race, a stopping fully crewed race, currently using the Volvo Ocean 65 and IMOCA 60 class. Previously known as the Whitbread Round The World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race.
Other races
Former races including
Other speed sailing records

References

  1. ^ SSN Staff (13 November 2016). "Vendée Globe: Thomson Leads into the Doldrums". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  2. ^ VendéeGlobe.org Staff (13 November 2016). "Home Page, Vendée Globe 2016–2017 [race]". vendeeglobe.org. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  3. ^ BBC Staff (27 January 2013). "Vendee Globe 2012–13: Francois Gabart Breaks Solo Record [BBC Sport: Sailing]". Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  4. ^ Museler, Chris (9 November 2008). "Racers in Vendée Globe Start Nonstop Solo Quest". New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2008. Compared with other global ocean races […] the Vendée Globe is considered the most extreme sailing event in the world
  5. ^ "Vendée Globe: Sailing's Everest". The Independent. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b The Museum of Yachting (14 November 2016) [1990]. "Philippe Jeantot, 1952–". The Single-Handed Sailors' Hall of Fame. Newport, RI: The Museum of Yachting. Retrieved 14 November 2016 – via Windlass Creative [Sally Anne Santos]. [Quote:] Inducted to Single-Handed Sailors' Hall of Fame, 1990.
  7. ^ "Introduction". Vendée Globe. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Edition 1989/1990 : Une grande course est née". Vendée Globe (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Vendée Globe 1989–90". Vendée Globe. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  10. ^ Evans, Jeremy (1 April 2008). Sailing. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-4053-3472-3. Tragically, another life was lost as French Canadian Gerry Roufs was lost at sea
  11. ^ VendéeGlobe.org Staff (13 November 2016). "Partners – Vendée Globe 2016–2017". vendeeglobe.org. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  12. ^ Nielsen, Peter (11 May 2016). "Inside the Vendée Globe". Sail Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Vendee Globe: The race to the end of the world". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  14. ^ Laven, Kate (3 December 2012). "Vendee Globe 2012–13: Dicing with ice as fleet heads into desolate Southern Ocean". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Document sans titre". Histoiredeshalfs.com. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Boat History Page". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  21. ^ Thierry Tazé-Bernard (15 January 2015). "Armel Le Cléac'h dévoile son novateur Banque Populaire VIII". francetvsport.fr. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  22. ^ "IMOCA Class Website Boat Profile". IMOCA Class Association. Retrieved 11 January 2021.

External links

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