Sailing - Vendee Globe - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - November 10, 2024 France's Fabrice Amedeo and sailors in action during the race REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
LES SABLES D’OLONNE, France - Forty intrepid skippers representing a record 11 nationalities and including six female competitors set off on the world's most challenging solo sailing race on Sunday as the 45,000-kilometre non-stop circumnavigation Vendee Globe got underway.
Under clear skies and with light winds of four to seven knots, the fleet departed from Les Sables d’Olonne in western France, cheered on by enormous crowds lining the iconic canal.
A favourite this year is Frenchman Charlie Dalin, the runner-up last year. "I'm in great shape and overjoyed to be here," he said. "Storm, zero knots... I'm taking it all in.
"I'm so happy to be going... I can't wait. Four years ago, there was nobody there because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Coming out of the channel with all the crowds is one of the most symbolic elements of the race and I'm very happy to experience that this year.
"I've got some revenge to take on the race. It wasn't far off last time: two hours and a bit out of 80 days at sea. I'm going to try to do better than last time."
The six female skippers equal the record set in the 2020-21 race.
Not everyone had a smooth start, with New Zealand’s Conrad Colman, aboard MS Amlin, struggling with a technical issue that delayed his start.
The race features its youngest-ever participant, 23-year-old Violette Dorange of France, who is making her debut in the gruelling contest.
"Honestly, it's nothing but happiness," she said. "I'm so happy to be here. There are lots of emotions and I just want to enjoy it.
"D-Day is always a bit stressful but I'm storing up all the energy here for the difficult times ahead."
The day began with emotional farewells as sailors bid adieu to family and friends on the docks. They then navigated through the canal to the open sea, waving to the enthusiastic crowds.
In keeping with tradition, final crew members leapt into support boats minutes before the start, leaving skippers to face the sea alone.
While the race began under calm conditions, winds are expected to intensify later in the day. Skippers now face their first night at sea, embarking on a journey that could last up to three months as they navigate some of the world’s most treacherous waters.
Frenchman Yannick Bestaven won the last edition, finishing in 80 days three hours and 44 minutes.
The Vendee Globe is a solo, non-stop and unassisted sailing race around the world, starting and finishing in Les Sables-d’Olonne. It follows a course through the Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, across the treacherous Southern Ocean and past the Kerguelen Islands.
Competitors then navigate around Cape Leeuwin at the southwestern tip of Australia and Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America before heading back up the Atlantic to return to Les Sables-d’Olonne.
The route spans approximately 24,000 nautical miles, exposing sailors to some of the planet's harshest and most remote conditions.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; editing by Clare Fallon)
