Vendee Globe dock walk – a video overview of the 40 IMOCA60s prepared for solo racing
by Sail-World.com/nz 31 Oct 06:35 PDT
1 November 2024
Dock at Lorient – 2024-25 Vendee Globe – October 2024 – Lorient © Vincent Curutchet / DPPI / Vendee Globe
The race will start on November 10 from Les Sables-d’Olonne, located on France’s Atlantic coast. Forty competitors from ten countries will participate in the 24,300 nautical mile (45,000 km) solo, non-stop, unassisted race, marking it as the largest event of its kind worldwide.
British solo sailor, Pip Hare (50), will take part in her second Vendee Globe, this time aboard Medallia.
In a two-part video series, Pip Hare and Joff Brown, the Technical Director for her team, Pip Hare Ocean Racing, give us a morning dock walk around the 40 entries in the 2024 Vendee Globe. Some of the vessels are brand new IMOCA60s, the class used in both this race and The Ocean Race, while others are refurbished IMOCA60s from past Vendee Globe editions. Joff Brown has managed five Vendee Globe campaigns to completion and provides an insightful overview of the distinctive features of the full or partial foiling monohulls.
This year’s Vendee Globe features multiple new IMOCA60s designed for both single-handed and fully crewed racing.
In a third video, Pip Hare discusses the recent refit of her eight-year-old Medallia, showcasing above and below deck details and highlighting the intricacies of the IMOCA60 designs and the innovation process necessary for updating older boats to keep them competitive with the newest models.
The Vendee Globe will have 40 competitors, including six women, and among the top five ranked sailors/teams, two, or 40%, are female sailors competing in an open field.
