Clément Pédron, Media365, published on Sunday November 10, 2024 at 1:16 p.m.
The forty solo sailors, including six women, took the start of the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe. Among the favorites for this solo world tour, we find Charlie Dalin, Jérémie Beyou, Thomas Ruyant and Yoann Richomme.
There are forty of them at the start of this tenth edition of the Vendée Globe, the “top” of which was given as tradition dictates at 1:02 p.m. Forty courageous people, including six women, set off this Sunday from Les Sables-d'Olonne in Vendée. As a reminder, the Vendée Globe route is 45,000 kilometers long, or a theoretical distance of 24,300 nautical miles. The skippers participating in the race must sail around the world via three capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, all without stopovers and without assistance. In short, they go down the Atlantic to reach the Indian Ocean then the Pacific and back up to the Atlantic, all aboard an Imoca-type monohull sailboat that can reach a speed of 35 knots (around 65 km/h). And yet, only one will win at the end of the greatest race around the world. For the occasion, several thousand spectators arrived early on this Sunday to admire the horses and greet these sea speed professionals. The weather was very gray, the wind was still timid but the excitement was there. You only had to see the smiles of all the skippers, cheered on the pontoon, to understand all the emotion surrounding this event.
Jean Le Cam, the 65-year-old dean of this Vendée Globe, set off for the sixth time on the premier event with unwavering joy. “The Chenal was a magical moment like every four years, with a huge crowd on both sides,” admitted the skipper from his boat to the Team microphone. It's a moment filled with emotions because people are still present at this event. For three weeks in Les Sables-d'Olonne, there was an extraordinary crowd. There is always emotion when the audience is there. There are really feelings that emerge and I receive them in the heart. That's a lot between the departure of the boats from the pontoon, the channel, the three weeks we have just spent. We are at the culmination of something. »
Le Cléac'h's record
In five participations before this 2024 edition, Jean Le Cam has never managed to win. Michel Desjoyeaux did it twice, first on PRB in 2000-2001 then Foncia in 2008-2009. The latest winner of the event is Yannick Bestaven on Maître Coq IV in 2020-2021 and some 80 days of navigation, 3 hours, 44 minutes and 46 seconds to reach Les Sables-d'Olonne. As a reminder, Armel Le Cléac'h holds the record for the event achieved in 2016-2017 aboard “Banque-Populaire VIII” in 74 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes. Among the favorites for this solo world tour, we find Charlie Dalin, Jérémie Beyou, Thomas Ruyant and Yoann Richomme.
