Saving the Best for Last
by Mark Jardine 13 Nov 12:00 PST
Sam Davies aboard Initiatives-Coeur on Monday, November 11th, during the 10th Vendée Globe © Sam Davies
2024 is shaping up to be a true extravaganza for major sailing events, with SailGP providing appetizer treats throughout the season, the Paris 2024 Olympics in Marseille serving as our first course, the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup as the main event, and currently, the Vendée Globe as the final sweet.
You might think we would be content after such a feast, similar to Mr. Creosote from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, but much like a classic French Tarte Tatin, it’s hard to resist checking the tracker to see the positions of the forty-strong fleet and who’s making their move.
The fleet’s departure from Les Sables d’Olonne is a cherished tradition for sailors and fans alike, with thousands lining the channel and watching from the beach, evoking scenes that resemble a rock concert more than a sailing competition. For the sailors, the contrast of being surrounded by so many people to being utterly alone must be quite startling.
This is the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe, which has been a French institution from the start, but is only now gaining real traction internationally. It has rightly earned the title of the ‘Everest of the Seas’, and attracting forty skippers (with more wanting to join) is no small achievement. Encouragingly, eleven of the skippers are from outside France, and six are women.
The race commenced in nearly calm conditions, with the yachts gliding over the starting line to embark on the 24,000 nautical mile journey. Securing the best start brings bragging rights, and the pin end saw a bit of congestion as all the competitors vied for the optimal position.
Team Malizia’s Boris Herrmann managed to start with good speed, clearing his path to lead the fleet away. He enjoyed his time during the Dock Out, taking selfies and soaking in the crowds at Les Sables d’Olonne.
Once the fleet crossed into Biscay, the wind picked up, intensifying as they gybed and battled for the lead. Many regard Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance as the favorite, and he quickly established a 24-mile lead over his closest rival before rounding Cape Finisterre.
However, this lead was short-lived as Great Britain’s Sam Goodchild on Vulnerable surged south down the Iberian Peninsula, overtaking Dalin.
The high-pressure system that has left Britain windless for weeks extends down the Atlantic, creating a corridor of stronger pressure that squeezes around the northwest corner of Spain toward Madeira; navigating through this is crucial for progress. Venturing further west could mean rougher seas.
Apparently, Nicolas Lunven missed the memo that the Vendée Globe is a marathon, not a sprint. His IMOCA HOLCIM-PRB has proven to be extremely fast, holding the crewed 24-hour monohull record of 640.48 miles, set during The Ocean Race in 2023, and now also holding the solo monohull record.
Lunven opted for a significantly westerly route past Cape Finisterre than his competitors, finding stronger winds and achieving 546.60 nautical miles in 24 hours on Wednesday—that’s over 1,000 kilometers. This record requires ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, but it demonstrates that the newest generation of IMOCA yachts is impressively fast.
In the Vendée Globe, attrition plays a major role, so skippers must expertly manage themselves and their yachts. Sleep patterns often consist of 4 hours awake followed by a 30-minute nap, but it’s easy to become fatigued when the boat is slamming through the waves. This fatigue can lead to tactical errors and mishaps in boat handling, the latter of which can cause significant damage that could end the race.
Effectively managing the boat and knowing when to push hard or ease off is what will ultimately secure victory in the Vendée Globe. At this moment, all skippers are pushing fiercely, but as the race progresses, we can expect to see breakages and necessary repairs at sea.
As always, we are delivering all the latest news from the Vendée Globe on Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com, combining editorial content, updates from the teams, photos, and videos. New to this edition, we’re offering regular studio-style videos, analyzing tactical decisions in real-time, as well as breaking news from the race, including Lunven’s record.
We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest updates, and we thank the thousands who are already viewing these updates. Our video coverage is continually adapting, and we value your feedback. Please feel free to email me with your thoughts and suggestions, as many of you have already done.
Next week, METSTRADE takes place, the annual marine industry gathering in Amsterdam and likely the best venue to see the latest sailing technologies. Back in 2021, I wrote about Why METS Matters while traveling to The Netherlands during a Covid curfew, discussing innovations on display and the partnerships that spring from discussions among industry leaders.
I openly admit my enthusiasm for METS; I’m eagerly anticipating seeing advancements in bio-resins, flax fiber applications, electronics, and safety devices, as well as fittings designed specifically to meet sailors’ needs.
For Mr. Creosote, the ‘wafer-thin mint’ was too much, but remember the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race kicks off on Boxing Day, marking the year’s end. This event always garners significant interest from our readers, and the sight of yachts departing Sydney Harbour is one of sailing’s most iconic images.
2025 will begin as robustly as the Vendée Globe fleet will still be competing, and we’ll be following them all the way back to Les Sables d’Olonne.
Mark Jardine
Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com Managing Editor
