Vendée Globe, UNESCO, and the IMOCA Class: Collaborating to Safeguard the Ocean Through Sport and Science
by Vendée Globe media 16 Oct 03:17 PDT
10 November 2024
Manuel Cousin, Groupe SETIN © Manuel Cousin / Groupe SETIN
Twenty-five sailors participating in the Vendée Globe 2024, the largest solo, nonstop, round-the-world race, will carry scientific instruments provided by UNESCO and its partners aboard their IMOCA yachts. These instruments will advance oceanographic research and weather forecasting during the race. The skippers will receive training on equipment usage on October 22 and 23 in Les Sables d’Olonne.
Thanks to an innovative collaboration among UNESCO, the Vendée Globe, and the IMOCA Class, twenty-five solo sailors have agreed to carry marine weather measurement tools during the competition.
These sailors will facilitate the real-time collection and sharing of vital data with scientists, helping to broaden global understanding of the climate and oceans while enhancing operational weather forecasting, particularly in remote regions like the Southern Ocean.
Various types of instruments will be deployed, including surface buoys, weather stations, autonomous Argo subsurface profiling floats, educational buoys (Calitoo), and thermosalinographs.
Data collected during and after the race, along with the buoys installed, will contribute to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), coordinated by UNESCO.
Several institutes that share this vision and are stakeholders of GOOS provide the scientific equipment: Ifremer, Météo France, UK MetOffice, CNES, GEOMAR, CLS, TARA Foundation, ETH Zurich. UNESCO’s International Centre of Excellence for the Coordination and Monitoring of Meteorological and Oceanographic Observing Systems (OceanOPS) will ensure the technical coordination of all instruments and operations.
In accordance with environmental commitments made to UNESCO, carrying scientific equipment will become mandatory for all competitors in the race rules starting in the 2028 edition.
Provisional Schedule
Tuesday, October 22
2 p.m. – 4 p.m., pontoons: Presentation of scientific instruments to skippers, alongside partner scientists and researchers.
4:00-5:30 p.m., Race Village Media Centre: Press briefing for the media
Wednesday, October 23
9:00-10:00 a.m., Conference area: Skippers will learn the established protocol and the areas designated for deploying these instruments.
2:15 p.m., Public Bar: Public roundtable with representatives from Vendée Globe, UNESCO, IMOCA Class, Météo France, Ifremer, CNES, and OceanOPS.
Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Globe and the Vendée Department: “In February, we announced ten ambitious environmental commitments in partnership with UNESCO. Implementing this through tangible actions, such as incorporating these measuring devices during the race with support from various partners, is vital. This is a significant gesture from the 25 skippers to advance scientific understanding of our oceans and improve their conservation.”
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO: “To enhance ocean protection, we must deepen our understanding. I commend the commitment of the Vendée Globe, the IMOCA Class, and the skippers, alongside UNESCO, to further oceanographic research by integrating these instruments onto their boats. This initiative showcases the tremendous cooperation potential between sport and science.”
Claire VAYER, co-leader for sustainability, IMOCA Class: “It’s a significant milestone to see numerous sailors engaging in this collaborative project, which the IMOCA Class has proudly pursued since 2018. After nearly five years of efforts with scientific partners, it’s rewarding and encouraging to recognize the vital contributions of sailors to science today. Many sailors stepped forward as soon as the Vendée Globe project was announced. A record number of scientific instruments will be on board, placing science at the heart of our sporting endeavors.”
The 25 skippers carrying measuring instruments are:
Denis Van Weynbergh (Weather Buoy)
Fabrice Amedeo (OceanPack + Argo Float)
Yoann Richomme (Argo Float + ARGOS Marget II)
Louis Duc (Weather Buoy)
Manu Cousin (Weather Buoy)
Louis Burton (Calitoo)
Jingkun Xu (Argo Float)
Oliver Heer (OceanPack + Argo Float)
Antoine Cornic (TSG Gaillard + Weather Buoy + Weather Station)
Tanguy Le Turquais (Weather Station)
Kojiro Shiraishi (Argo Float)
Sam Goodchild (Argo Float + Calitoo)
Sébastien Marsset (Weather Station + Argo Float)
Romain Attanasio (TSG Gaillard + Weather Buoy)
Boris Herrmann (OceanPack + Weather Buoy)
Guirec Soudée (Argo Float)
Maxime Sorel (Argo Float)
Szabi WEORES (Argo Float + Weather Station)
Arnaud Boissières (Weather Buoy + Calitoo)
Sam Davies (Calitoo)
Pip Hare (Calitoo)
Paul Meilhat (Planctoscope)
Nicolas Lunven (OceanPack)
Benjamin Dutreux (Weather Station)
Clarisse Crémer (Weather Buoy)
Distribution schedule for instruments on the afternoon of October 22:
In the presence of IFREMER, METEOFRANCE, CNES, and OCEANOPS.
2:00 p.m.:
Denis Van Weynbergh (Weather Buoy)
Fabrice Amedeo (OceanPack + Argo Float)
2:15 p.m.:
Yoann Richomme (Argo Float + ARGOS Marget II)
Louis Duc (Weather Buoy)
2:30 p.m.:
Manu Cousin (Weather Buoy)
Louis Burton (Calitoo)
Jingkun Xu (Argo Float)
2:45 p.m.:
Oliver Heer (OceanPack + Argo Float)
Antoine Cornic (TSG Gaillard + Weather Buoy + Weather Station)
3:00 p.m.:
Kojiro Shiraishi (Argo Float)
Romain Attanasio (TSG Gaillard + Weather Buoy)
3:15 p.m.:
Boris Herrmann (OceanPack + Weather Buoy)
Guirec Soudée (Argo float)
3:30 p.m.:
Arnaud Boissières (Weather Buoy + Calitoo)
3:45 p.m.:
Sam Davies (Calitoo)
Clarisse Crémer (Weather Buoy)
3:50 p.m.:
Sam Goodchild (Argo float + Calitoo)
4 p.m.:
Maxime Sorel (Argo float)
Pip Hare (Calitoo)
4:15 p.m.:
Szabi Weores (Argo float + Weather Station)
