The Vendée Globe () is a single-handed (solo) non-stop, unassisted round the world yacht race. The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, and since 1992 has taken place every four years. It is named after the department 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.

The race History The race was founded as "The Globe Challenge" in 1989 by French yachtsman Philippe Jeantot. Jeantot had competed in the BOC Challenge in 1982–83 and 1986–87, winning the 60-foot class ("Class I") both times. The BOC Challenge was sailed in stages with sailors being given the chance to rest and repair their boats at ports around the world.Unsatisfied 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.

The first race was run in 1989–90, and was won by Titouan Lamazou; Jeantot himself took part, and placed fourth. 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).

Yachts

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 notable are 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.

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. 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. The race generally covers approximately and runs from November to February, timed to place the competitors in the Southern Ocean during the austral summer.

Additional waypoints may be set in the sailing instructions for a particular race, to ensure safety relative to ice conditions, weather, etc. There is also an exclusion zone set around Antarctica where competitors are prohibited from sailing due to the risk of icebergs.

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 as 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 , at an average speed of at least , with his or her boat.

Participation

1989–90 1992–93 1996–97 2000–01 2004–05 2008–09 2012–13 2016–17 2020–21 2024–25 Total Finishers Overall Total 7 7 6 15 13 12 11 18 25 32 146 First Time 7 5 6 12 9 9 6 12 18 16 100 Start / Finishers (%) 53.8 50 40 62.5 65 40 55 62.1 75.8 80 61.3 Male 7 7 5 14 11 10 11 18 21 27 131 Male - First Time 7 5 5 11 7 7 6 12 14 13 87 Female 1 1 2 2 0 4 5 15 Female - First Time 1 1 2 2 0 4 3 13 Starters Total 13 14 15 24 20 30 20 29 33 40 238 First Time 13 10 12 15 12 16 5 14 18 15 130 Male 13 14 13 22 18 28 19 29 27 34 217 Male – First Time 13 10 10 13 10 14 5 14 13 13 115 Female 0 0 2 2 2 2 1 0 6 6 21 Female – First Time 0 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 5 2 15 Starter Age Youngest 27* 30* 29 24 29 25 27 23 27 23 23 Oldest 46* 64* 57 59 54 58 57 66 61 65 66 Mean 38* 39* 39 39 40 41 42 44 43 43 – Starters' Nationality AUS 1 0.5 0.5 2 AUT 1 1 2 BEL 1 1 1 3 CAN 1 0.5 1 2.5 CHN 1 1 ESP 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 FIN 1 1 FRA 11 8.5 10 12.5 12.5 17 12.5 19.5 22 26.5 152 GBR 2 2 4 3 7 3 1 4 3 29 GER 1.5 1.5 3 HUN 1 1 1 1 4 ITA 1 2 0.5 1 1 5.5 IRL 1 1 JPN 1 1 1 3 NED 1 1 NZL 0.5 0.5 1 POL 1 1 RSA 1 1 RUS 1 1 SUI 0.5 2.5 1 2 2 1 1 3 13 USA 1 1 1 1.5 0.5 5 Note * Some sailors dates of birth unknown

Results Overall winners

Overall winners' times Ed Year Skipper / Boat Name 24hr Run Equator Cape of Good Hope Leeuwin Cape Horn Equator Finish Line 1 1989 / Écureuil d'Aquitaine II 304 nm 109d 08h 48m 2 1992 / Bagages Superior 339 nm 110d 02h 22m 3 1996 / Geodis 105d 20h 31m 4 2000 / PRB 2 93d 03h 57m 5 2004 / PRB 2 10d 12h 13m 24d 02h 18m 36d 09h 48m 56d 15h 13m 72d 11h 24m 86d 32h 13m 6 2008 / Foncia 466 nm 13d 15h 41m 27d 00h 34m 37d 31h 23m 56d 15h 08m 71d 17h 12m 84d 03h 09m 7 2012 / Macif 534 nm 11d 00h 20m 23d 03h 43m 34d 10h 23m 52d 06h 18m 66d 01h 39m 78d 02h 16m 8 2016 / Banque Populaire VIII 09d 09h 56m 18d 03h 30m 28d 20h 12m 47d 00h 32m 61d 12h 21m 74d 03h 36m 9 2020 / Maître Coq IV 481.8 (7th) 35d 01h 25m 55d 00h 22m 69d 13h 16m 80d 03h 44m10 2024 / Macif Santé Prévoyance 11d 09h 03m 19d 03h 43m 29d 02h 10m 43d 11h 34m 56d 02h 36m 64d 19h 23m

Farthest distance covered in 24 hours Edition Year Skipper Boat name nautical miles/24h 1 1989–1990 Écureuil d'Aquitaine II 304 2 1992–1993 Bagages Superior 339 3 1996–1997 Aquitaine Innovations 374 4 2000–2001 Union bancaire privée 430 5 2004–2005 Sill et Veolia 439 6 2008–2009 Foncia 466 7 2012–2013 Macif 534 8 2016–2017 Hugo Boss 6 536 9 2020–2021 LinkedOut 515 10 2024–2025 Groupe Dubreuil615

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 N/A Écureuil d'Aquitaine II Luc Bouvet Olivier Petit Chantier Capitaine Flint 1989 1992–1993 1 / 1 6th Bagages Superior Finot-Conq CDK Technologies (FRA) 1992 Aluminum Construction 1996–1997 Never Geodis Finot-Conq JMV Industries (FRA) 1994 2000–2001 Never PRB 2 FRA 85 Finot-Conq Mag (FRA) 1999 2004–2005 Never 2008–2009 1 / 1 (1st) Foncia FRA 101 Farr Yacht Design CDK Technologies (FRA) 2007 2012–2013 Never Macif FRA 301 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA) Green Marine (GBR) 2011 2016–2017 2 / 2 (2nd)Banque Populaire VIII FRA 18 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA) 2015 2020–2021 1 / 0Maître Coq IV FRA 17 Verdier / VPLP CDK Technologies (FRA) 2015-03-02 Hydrofoil 2024–2025 1 / 1 (2nd) Macif Santé Prévoyance FRA 79 Verdier CDK Technologies (FRA) 2023-06-24 Hydrofoil / SCOW

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 The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a stopping crewed race for amateur crews using the Clipper 70 Class. Jules Verne Trophy Oryx Quest Arkéa Ultim Challenge

Former races including The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, held in 1968–1969, the first round-the-world yacht race. The BT Global Challenge, was a race held every four years and followed the westward route. The Race, was a race held in 2000, involving multihulls. The Oryx Quest, held in 2005, starting from Qatar.

Other speed sailing records Speed sailing record World Sailing Speed Record Council Transatlantic sailing record

Circumnavigation List of circumnavigations

References

External links