Lhe 10 edition of the Vendée Globe, the solo round-the-world sailing trip (monohulls), non-stop and without assistance, set off on Sunday at 1:02 p.m. off the coast of Les Sables d’Olonne. In overcast weather and a very light wind downwind and in front of a large crowd (between 350 and 400,000 people), absent four years ago due to Covid.
Among the 40 skippers of the “Everest of the seas”, our compatriot Denis Van Weynbergh (57 years old) is present on his boat D’Ieteren Group.
He will try to become the first Belgian to return to Les Sables after having traveled 24,300 nautical miles (around 45,000 kilometers) around the world. Before him, Patrick de Radiguès had been forced to withdraw during the 3rd and 4th editions in 1996-1997 and 2000-2001.
Frenchman Armel Le Cléac’h holds the speed record for the race. He won the 8 edition in 2016-2017 in 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds at the helm of Banque Populaire VIII. His compatriot Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ IV) won in the previous edition in 80 days 3 hours 44 minutes and 46 seconds.
The oldest of the event is Jean Le Cam (65 years old), who is competing in his 5th “Vendée”, the youngest Violette Dorange (23 years old) who is discovering the event.
The favorites are Charlie Dalin (Macif), first at the finish of the previous edition but ranked 2nd after the time bonus granted to Bestaven who participated in the rescue of Kevin Escoffier; Thomas Ruyant (Vulnerable 2), winner of the Transat Jacques-Vabre (2021, 2023) and the Route du Rhum (2022); Jérémie Beyou (Charal); Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa); the German Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) and Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V), title holder who dreams of joining Michel Desjoyeaux, the only double winner of the race (2000-01 and 2008-09).
Belgium
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