The 'Vendée Globe' is a
round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance.
[1] The race was founded by
Philippe Jeantot in
1989, and since
1992 has taken place every four years.
As the only single-handed non-stop round-the-world race (in contrast to the
VELUX 5 Oceans Race, which is sailed in stages), the race is a serious test of individual endurance, and is regarded by many as the ultimate in ocean racing.
History
The race was founded in 1989 by French yachtsman
Philippe Jeantot. Jeantot had competed in the
''BOC Challenge'' (now the ''VELUX 5 Oceans Race'') in 1982-1983 and 1986-1987, winning both times; dissatisfied with the "stopping" format, he decided to set up a new non-stop race, which he felt would be the ultimate challenge for
single-handed sailors.
[2]
The first edition of the race was run in
1989-
1990, and was won by
Titouan Lamazou; Jeantot himself took part, and placed fourth.
[3] The next edition of the race was in
1992-
1993; since then it has been run every four years.
The boats
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
The race starts and finishes in
Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the
Vendée département of
France; both Les Sables d’Olonne and the Vendée Conseil Général are official race sponsors.
[4] 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.
[5] The race generally runs from November to February; it is timed to place the competitors in the
Southern Ocean in
summer.
Additional waypoints may be set in the sailing instructions for a particular race, in order to ensure safety relative to ice conditions, etc. For example, in 2004, the racers had to pass north of the following flexible waypoints:
[6]
★ a gate south of South Africa, situated at 44° South, between 005° East and 014° East
★
Heard Island
★ a gate to the South west of Australia, situated at 47° South, between 103° East and 113° East
★ a gate to the south east of Australia, situated at 52° South, between 136° East and 147° East
★ a gate in the Pacific Ocean, situated at 55° South, between 160° West and 149° West
★ a gate in the Pacific Ocean, situated at 55° South, between 126° West and 115° West
The competitors may stop at anchor, but may not draw alongside a quay or another vessel; and 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 re-start the race, as long the re-start is within 10 days of the official start.
[7]
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-
1997 race Canadian
Gerry Roufs was tragically lost at sea.
[8]
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 a completion of the previous ''Vendée Globe''. The qualifying passage must have been completed on the same boat to be raced in the ''Vendée''; or the competitor must complete an additional trans-oceanic observation passage, of not less than 2,500 miles, in that boat, at an average speed of at least 7
knots (13
km/h).
[7] Since trans-ocean races typically have significant qualifying criteria of their own,
[10] any entrant to the ''Vendée'' will have amassed substantial sailing experience.
Previous results
1989-1990
The inaugural edition of the race was led from early on by the eventual winner,
Titouan Lamazou, on ''Ecureuil d'Aquitaine II''.
Philippe Jeantot, the race's founder, had problems with breakdowns, and then unfavourable winds, which held him back from the race lead.
Philippe Poupon's
ketch ''Fleury Michon X'' capsized in the
Southern Ocean; Poupon was rescued by
Loïck Peyron, who finally finished second, in what was generally a successful first run of the race.
[3]
1992-1993
The second edition of the race attracted a great deal of media coverage; with several participants from the first race, and some promising newcomers, it was set to be an exciting event. Unfortunately, American
Mike Plant, one of the entrants in the first race, failed to make the start; he was lost at sea on the way to the race.
The race set off into extremely bad weather in the
Bay of Biscay; several racers returned to the start to make repairs, before setting off again (the only stopover allowed by the rules). Four days after the start, British sailor
Nigel Burgess was found drowned off
Cape Finisterre, having presumably fallen overboard.
Alain Gautier and
Bertrand de Broc led the race down the Atlantic; however, keel problems forced de Broc to retire in
New Zealand. Gautier continued with
Philippe Poupon close behind, but a dismasting close to the finish held Poupon back and gave second place to
Jean-Luc van den Heede.
[12]
1996-1997
Another heavy-weather start in the Bay of Biscay knocked
Nandor Fa and
Didier Munduteguy out of the race early; several others once again returned to the start for repairs before continuing. The rest of the fleet raced to the Southern Ocean, where a second attrition began.
Yves Parlier was knocked out after hitting ice, and
Isabelle Autissier had rudder damage, leaving
Christophe Auguin to lead the way into the south.
Heavy weather took a more serious toll in the far Southern Ocean.
Raphaël Dinelli was capsized and dramatically rescued by
Pete Goss; then, within a few hours of each other,
Thierry Dubois and
Tony Bullimore were capsized, and rescued by Australian rescue teams. Finally, contact was lost with
Gerry Roufs; despite four of the racers combing the ocean, no trace of him was found.
The race was won by
Christophe Auguin; and
Catherine Chabaud, sixth and last, was the first woman to finish the race.
[8]
Pete Goss was later awarded the
Légion d'honneur for his rescue of Dinelli.
[14] The capsize of several boats in this race prompted tightening up of the safety rules for entrants, particularly regarding boat safety and stability.
[15]
The book ''Godforsaken Sea: The True Story of a Race Through the World's Most Dangerous Waters'' by Derek Lundy profiles this edition of the race.
[16]
2000-2001
This race was the first major test of the new safety rules, introduced following the tragedy in the previous race. Overall, it was a success; although some boats were again forced to retire from the race, none were lost. This race also featured the youngest entrant ever;
Ellen MacArthur of the UK, who at 24 years old had managed to put together a serious campaign with her custom-built boat ''Kingfisher''.
Yves Parlier of France, on ''Aquitaine Innovations'', was the first to establish a lead; however, this was soon under attack by
Michel Desjoyeaux on ''PRB'', who moved into the lead. Pushing hard to catch up, Parlier was dismasted and lost contact with race organisers. MacArthur diverted to render assistance, but was then told to resume racing when contact with Parlier was restored, and managed to maintain fourth place.
Desjoyeaux extended his lead to 600 miles by
Cape Horn; however, MacArthur was closing steadily, having moved up to second place. By the mid-Atlantic she had caught up, and while negotiating the calms and variable winds of the Doldrums, the two traded the lead position several times.
MacArthur's chances of a win were ruined when she struck a semi-submerged
container and was forced to make repairs. Desjoyeaux won the race; but MacArthur pulled in just over a day later, to a rapturous reception, as the fastest single-handed woman around the planet. Parlier, meanwhile, had anchored off
New Zealand, and managed to fabricate a new
carbon-fibre mast from the remains of his broken mast, all without outside assistance. He continued racing, and gained an official place.
[17][18]
2004-2005
300,000 people watched the start of the
2004 race, which for once took place in mild weather. A fast start was followed by a few minor equipment problems; still, the first racers crossed the
equator after just 10 days, 3 days faster than the previous race, and all of the starters were still sailing.
Attrition began on entry into the
roaring forties: Alex Thomson diverted to
Cape Town to make unassisted repairs and continue racing, and a number of other problems hit the fleet; then
Hervé Laurent retired with serious rudder problems. Thomson retired, and
Conrad Humphreys anchored to make unassisted rudder repairs. Gear problems and retirements continued; then the fleet ran into an area of ice, with
Sébastien Josse hitting a berg head-on.
As the fleet re-entered the Atlantic, the lead changed several times; the race remained close right to the finish, which saw three boats finish within 29 hours.
[19][20][21]
External links
★
A diagram of the race
References
1. ''Vendée Globe'', the official web site (English version)
2. ''Introduction'', from the official web site
3. ''1989/1990 Edition: A great race is born'', from the official web site
4. ''Partners'', from the official web site
5. ''Route'', from the official web site
6. ''Positions and Theoretical Route'', from the official web site
7. ''Main Rules for the Vendée Globe 2004'', from the official web site
8. ''1996/1997 Edition : The Globe spinning out of control'', from the official web site
9. ''Main Rules for the Vendée Globe 2004'', from the official web site
10. ''Qualifying for the Route du Rhum'', Conrad Humphreys Racing
11. ''1989/1990 Edition: A great race is born'', from the official web site
12. ''1992/1993 Edition: The edition with the first real dramas'', from the official web site
13. ''1996/1997 Edition : The Globe spinning out of control'', from the official web site
14. ''Pete Goss MBE'', from Now You're Talking
15. ''Vendée Globe — Entering a New Era'', from Sailnet.com
16. ''Godforsaken Sea: The True Story of a Race Through the World's Most Dangerous Waters'', by Derek Lundy. Anchor, 2000. ISBN 0385720009
17. ''Vendee Globe: The full story'', from the BBC
18. ''2000/2001 Edition : The Express Globe'', from the official web site
19. ''Vendée Globe 2004: A Look Back at the Race'', from the official web site
20. ''Rankings and Positions'', from the official web site
21. ''Vendée Globe 2004-05 Final Results'', from about.com
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