Figures from the race

6th edition
Start on 9th November
from Les Sables d'Olonne (Vendée, France)
30 solo sailors
in a monohull with a single winner
Target 87 days 10 hours 47 minutes
(reference time established by Vincent Riou, winner of the 2004-2005 edition)
21,760 miles to be covered :
across three Oceans and around the three legendary capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn)

The Vendée Globe, the great rendez-vous

Since Magellan's initiatory voyage which was completed in 1522, sailors have travelled the length and breadth of the globe's seas, relishing circumnavigations.

However, the first race around the world, without stopovers and without assistance didn't come about until the end of the sixties. In 1968, on the initiative of Sir Francis Chichester and thanks to the commitment of the British newspaper the Sunday Times, the Golden Globe Challenge was created. Competitors were free to set off between 1st June and 31st October 1968, with the only constraint being to set off from and return to England. Nine sailors took up the gauntlet but only one of them, Sir Robin Knox Johnston, managed to complete the course in 313 days.

In 1989, Philippe Jeantot – a skilled sailor and double winner of the BOC Challenge (single-handed round the world race with stopovers contested in a monohull and recently rechristened the Velux 5 Oceans) – launched the Vendée Globe. The same concept as the Golden Globe Challenge, but this time the participating sailors would all set off and return to Les Sables d'Olonne, in the Vendée region of France, and most importantly they would all take to the sea together. On 26th November 1989, thirteen pioneers set off on the adventure. Among them was Loïck Peyron.

With every edition that passes, the Vendée Globe stands out, through its simplicity and its planetary dimension as the greatest solo offshore race. Every four years, the magic kicks into action and enthusiasts flock to the region in their thousands to applaud these heroes of modern times: men and women from France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Russia and even Australia.

The 2008-2009 vintage should mark an important turning point in the event with a record participation and an unparalleled technical level. On 9th November, the start gun will liberate thirty competitors, half of which will be at the helm of a 60' monohull specially designed to participate in this 6th edition. Added to this is the fact that the line-up will comprise some of the finest track records in sailing!

The podium finishes from the past five editions

Edition 1989-1990

  1. Titouan Lamazou
    109 days 8 hours 48 min.
  2. Loïck Peyron
    110 days 1 hour 18 min.
  3. Jean-Luc Van den Heede
    112 days 1 hour 14 min.
Start on 26th November 1989,
13 participants at the start,
7 official finishers

Edition 1992-1993

  1. Alain Gautier
    110 days 2 hours 22 min.
  2. Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
    116 days 15 hours 1 minute
  3. Philippe Poupon
    117 days 3 hours 34 min.
Start on 22nd November 1992,
14 participants at the start,
7 official finishers

Edition 1996-1997

  1. Christophe Auguin
    105 days 20 hours 31 min.
  2. Marc Thiercelin
    113 days 8 hours 26 min.
  3. Hervé Laurent
    114 days 16 hours 43 min.
Start on 3rd November 1996,
15 participants at the start,
6 official finishers

Edition 2000-2001

  1. Michel Desjoyeaux
    93 days 3 hours 57 min.
  2. Ellen Mac Arthur
    94 days 4 hours 25 min.
  3. Roland Jourdain
    96 days 1 hour 2 min.
Start on 5th November 2000,
24 participants at the start,
15 official finishers

Edition 2004-2005

  1. Vincent Riou
    87 days 10 hours 47 min.
  2. Jean Le Cam
    87 days 17 hours 20 min.
  3. Mike Goldin
    88 days 15 hours 15 min.
Start on 7th November 2004,
20 participants at the start,
13 official finishers