Vendée Globe

Dismasted after 28 hours of racing during the last Vendée Globe, Kito De Pavant sailed his Open 60 yacht Groupe Bel singlehanded from Marseilles to Carthage, setting a new Trans-Mediterranean sailing record* (monohull – singlehanded), the first on an Open 60 IMOCA Class.  It took him 1 day, 21 hours, 20 minutes and 29 seconds to beat Michel Kleinjans’ record (Open 40' Roaring Forty) by only 3 minutes and 31 seconds.

Les Sables d’Olonne, France - We have been waiting for this evening since we watched Norbert Sedlacek, the last of the around the world solo sailors, enter the channel of Les Sables d’Olonne in March. At the time, Vendée Globe officials promised us a great prize giving ceremony on May 23rd. They said it would be even better than four years ago, when over 70,000 thousand people gathered together on the beach of Les Sables d’Olonne to attend a most wonderful show. But could they really do better than four years ago?

France - That’s it, the Vendée Globe will be really coming to an end this weekend with the Prize Giving Ceremony. It’s going to a great evening where the 30 singlehanders will be celebrated for their efforts and bravery.

France - Five months ago, Yann Eliès fell victim to a dramatic accident in the Indian Ocean while sailing solo around the world. He suffered a femur fracture, a broken hip and five hurt vertebrae some 800 miles off the coast of Australia, when his Open 60 yacht Generali slammed hard into a wave during the gruelling Vendée Globe. The dramatic rescue operation by the crew of the HMS Arunta of the Australian Navy, in the presence of his buddy Marc Guillemot (Safran), was on the front page of every newspaper.

The new IMOCA Class World rankings are out, and a new Champion has been announced.  This year the title goes to "The Jackal," 32 year old Armel le Cleac'h of France, skipper of the Open 60 yacht Brit Air. Armel won his place by finishing second in both the Vendée Globe around the world race and the Artemis Transat. 

This week: He did it! The only American competing in the Vendée Globe has made landfall. This most beautiful of all the races around the world is coming to an end, but some are already preparing for the 2012 edition. Loïck Peyron is going to sail under the colours of Oman Sail, a racing team full of ambitions. He’ll participate at the iShares Cup, which will have 6 races this year instead of 5. Derek Hatfield is having problems again and has to make a stopover. We all know that to sail around the world takes a long time, but waiting for an ideal weather window to start a record attempt is interminable. Pascal Bidégorry knows what to do. And a prestigious record will celebrate its 4^th anniversary on Monday. Here we go again for a small around the world trip of the offshore sailing news, with stopovers in Les Sables d’Olonne, Oman, Cadiz and New Zealand.

Steve White's Vendée Globe campaign was one-of-a-kind. With an old boat, a shoestring budget, and a family-focused team, Steve not only took on the challenge, but completed the around the world sailing course in a race which saw two-thirds of the fleet retire. In doing so, he's inspired people around the world to chase their own dreams, no matter how crazy they seem.

Les Sables d’Olonne, France - The second US sailor to ever complete the grueling Vendée Globe non-stop around the world race, Rich Wilson crossed the finish line today after 121 days alone at sea. Sailing his Open 60 yacht Great American III across the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne at 12:43 GMT, Wilson arrived to roaring cheers from the surprisingly large Les Sables crowd.  Today, Rich Wilson may be the most popular American in France.

London - The first woman to have sailed non-stop around the world solo in both directions, Dee Caffari has now put her name in the record books. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't all fun. It was a battle of one person against the oceans, the winds, and most of all, it was an extraordinary battle of will. To be the first means to do what others haven't done before, and the reason why it hasn't been done before is usually because it's damned difficult.