The 10th Vendée Globe, the prestigious solo, non-stop, and unassisted round-the-world race, is in full swing, and the leading trio has already crossed the “midpoint” of the course. On November 10, 40 boats set sail from Les Sables-d’Olonne on France’s Atlantic coast, and as of today, 36 remain in the race. The 2024 edition is characterized by superlatives.
One of this year’s highlights is the race’s speed, breaking record after record. French sailor Charlie Dalin, currently leading alongside Yoann Richomme, smashed the 16-year-old record for the leg from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Leeuwin in Australia. Michel Desjoyeaux, the only two-time Vendée Globe winner, completed this route in 10 days and 7 hours back in 2008. Charlie Dalin took only 9 days and 22 hours, beating his compatriot’s time by 9 hours and 10 minutes. German competitor Boris Herrmann also surpassed the previous record with a time of 10 days and 1 hour, as did Sébastien Simon with 10 days and 6 hours. Simon also set a new solo 24-hour distance record in late November, covering 615.33 nautical miles at an average speed of 25.64 knots.
The three French sailors, Charlie Dalin, Sébastien Simon, and Yoann Richomme, are currently leading the race. Charlie Dalin has held the top position for most of the competition, with Yoann Richomme joining the trio only about ten days ago. Dalin and Richomme passed “Point Nemo” (the most remote location from any land on Earth) within sight of each other—a remarkable feeling in such a solitary place, 2,688 kilometers from the nearest landmass. Even the International Space Station (ISS) is closer to Earth than this spot! Remarkably, “Point Nemo” was also reached in record time.
In 2016, Armel Le Cléac’h won the Vendée Globe in 74 days and 3 hours. This year’s leading trio has already passed the famous milestone much faster than the champion did eight years ago. Yoann Richomme, one of the three French skippers, recently shared on social media: “The three of us decided to have a speed race in the middle of the Pacific. We wanted to see who had the fastest boat. Unbelievable!”.
Another standout feature of this year’s race is the skippers themselves. Both French sailor Damien Seguin and Chinese competitor Jingkun Xu have an amputated arm, showcasing incredible determination. Meanwhile, 23-year-old French sailor Violette Dorange is the youngest female participant in Vendée Globe history. She is currently in 25th place, sailing bravely aboard the former boat of French veteran Jean Le Cam, who is also competing this year. There are six female skippers in this edition, matching the number in the previous race, although there were fewer participants overall in 2020.
Florentine sailor Giancarlo Pedote is the only Italian competing this year and the fifth Italian in the history of the Vendée Globe. In mid-November, he briefly held the lead but lost his position due to issues with his mainsail. In a social media video, he documented his 14-hour effort to sew up a tear approximately 4 meters long. Exhausted and drenched in sweat amidst the chaos of his cockpit, Pedote declared with a smile, “…but we always stay positive!” In recent days, the Italian skipper has worked on his sail once again and is currently in 19th place.
However, Pedote’s sail issue is among the minor damages seen so far in this race. French skipper Maxime Sorel suffered a severe ankle injury while on the mast of his IMOCA Monbana Mayenne and withdrew from the race just five days after the start. Such an early elimination is unprecedented in the history of this extraordinary competition. Shortly after, Louis Burton, third in the last Vendée Globe, also withdrew. He had discovered cracks in his boat‘s hull during the second week of the race, but ultimately retired due to damage to the forestay attachment near the Cape of Good Hope. By mid-December, both English sailor Pip Hare and Hungarian competitor Szabolcs Weöres had officially dropped out. Weöres, who had been trailing the fleet after an initial repair near the Canary Islands, recently discovered a broken shroud, compromising the lateral stability of his upper mast. Meanwhile, 50-year-old Pip Hare was left devastated by the dismasting of her boat. Overwhelmed with sadness, she announced, “This is the end of our race”.
German skipper Boris Herrmann also faced serious challenges at sea but managed to avert a dangerous situation. The Hamburg-based sailor reported that during the night of December 22–23, his Malizia-Seaexplorer tipped dangerously onto its side, nearly capsizing.
Another notable feature of this year’s race is the exclusion zone around the South Pole, which has already been adjusted five times. This boundary limits how far south skippers can sail to avoid collisions with ice in the Southern Ocean.
Vendée Globe 2024 has proven to be particularly extreme so far. With dramatic twists, intense head-to-head duels, and technical challenges, this race once again demonstrates why it is considered the pinnacle of ocean racing.
