Frenchman Yoann Richomme crossed the finish line at 7:12 a.m. on Wednesday in Les Sables d’Olonne (Vendée) to finish second in the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, won on Tuesday by Charlie Dalin in record time. Richomme, aged 41, completed his solo round-the-world trip without stopover and without assistance in 65 days 18 hours 10 minutes aboard his 60-foot (18.28 m) red and black Paprec Arkéa monohull, a jewel of technology launched only two years ago.
He crossed the line 22 hours after Dalin (Macif), beaten after a fierce duel during the journey up the Atlantic. Escorted by around thirty boats, the Varois, dressed in a red raincoat, gray cap on his head, let his joy burst forth, brandishing his arms in the air several times upon his arrival at the very first light of day.
He had to go straight back up the channel and moor his monohull around 8:30 a.m.
A great time too
Norman Charlie Dalin won the race on Tuesday in 64 days 19 hours 22 minutes, 9 days and 8 hours less than the previous record, established in 2016/2017 by Armel Le Cléac’h. Richomme also did better than the previous reference time. He had a good start on November 10 and then led the race for several days just after the Cape of Good Hope.
In particular, coming back from an impressive delay of 500 miles in 48 hours in the Indian Ocean, the Varois even overtook his rival and friend Charlie Dalin as he passed Cape Horn. But a few days later, near Brazil, Dalin took the reins until the finish.
Always fascinated by boats and a trained naval architect, Richomme nevertheless established the new Les Sables-d’Olonne – Cape Horn reference time on his route, thanks to a particularly resistant sailboat in rough conditions.
The Frenchman, double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro (2016 and 2019) and the Route du Rhum (2018 and 2022) in Class40, won this second place for his first participation in the Vendée Globe. Since entering the Imoca class in 2023, he has had a string of victories. Despite his inexperience in the event, he started from Les Sables-d’Olonne last November as the favorite with Dalin and he did not disappoint.
“It was an incredible match with him, it’s his first Vendée and it seems like he’s been doing this all his life. It’s thanks to him that we traveled around the world in such a short time.s”, greeted Charlie Dalin after arriving ashore on Tuesday.
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