Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Zhik Men's Short Sleeve ZhikDry Polo
Zhik Men's Short Sleeve ZhikDry Polo

A record 31 skippers set for the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne in May

by Vendee Globe 24 Jan 2024 08:32 GMT 29 May 2024
New York Vendée trophy © Vendée Globe

While the IMOCA are in winter refit, the organisers of the Vendée Globe are unveiling the details and line-up of their transatlantic race, the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne, which will start off the coast of the United States on 29 May 2024 at 2pm local time.

With just a few months to go to the Vendée Globe, this final confrontation will be the opportunity for the sailors to test themselves one last time against the competitors before the solo, non-stop, unassisted round the world race in November. In terms of sport, it also represents the final qualifying and selection race for the Vendée Globe 2024. At the end of this race, the qualification course will be complete. The final line-up for the Vendée Globe will be unveiled on July 2.

The fastest transatlantic race ever?

Jérémie Beyou, winner of the first edition in 2016, reached Vendée in 9d 16h 57min52s. As boats have made great technological progress, there is a good chance that this crossing time will be significantly shortened. To beat this reference time, the winner of this 2nd edition will have to arrive before Saturday 8th June 2024, 13h. We can also expect the record for the greatest distance sailed by a single-handed IMOCA in 24 hours - currently 539.94 miles, held by Thomas Ruyant - to be beaten.

An international line-up

A record 31 skippers will be setting off across the Atlantic to reach the Vendée, more than twice the number of entries in 2016! Among them are 14 international skippers, representing over 45% of the fleet and 11 nationalities. The appeal of this race goes beyond national borders, as evidenced by the fact that it is attracting a new nationality with Scott Shawyer, a Canadian skipper who wants to take part in the Vendée Globe 2028.

Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Globe, the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne and the Vendée Department is delighted: "The aim of this race, which perfectly complements our round the world race, is to make our events more international. Looking at the line-up, with almost half of the skippers international, we can say that this objective has been achieved."

There are also the favourites for the Vendée Globe 2024: Jérémie Beyou, the title holder of the transatlantic race, Charlie Dalin, Thomas Ruyant, Yoann Richomme... A rich and varied line-up which promises a very competitive race.

Reaching beyond our borders

While the sporting challenges are major, the New York Vendée Les Sables d'Olonne also aims to promote solo offshore racing and the Vendée region in the United States.

Links will be built between the regions: a business trip will be organised in collaboration with the Vendée CCI and Business France for Vendée entrepreneurs and race partners. The aim of these initiatives is to strengthen the economic links between the Vendée and New York, encouraging commercial exchanges.

The highlight of these meetings will be the Vendée Liberty Show, an exhibition race in Manhattan Bay on 24 May 2024. Through this transatlantic collaboration, ananalogy can be drawn between the "American dream" and the "Vendée miracle". While America represents the place where individual dreams prosper, the Vendée is renowned for its remarkable economic developmentand entrepreneurial culture. This meeting at the heart of the sporting competition symbolises the quest for new horizons for Vendée entrepreneurs and the convergence of two success stories.

A work of art from Vendée as a trophy

From 7 to 9 June, just a few days after the passage of the Olympic flame, a festive reception for the public and the sailors will be set up on the Vendée Globe esplanade. The trophy, created by Julien Vrignaud, an iron sculptor from Vendée, will be given to the winner at the public ceremony on Sunday 9 June at 6pm.

Keyfigures:

  • 31 competitors
  • 14 internationals, i.e. over 45% of the line-up
  • 1 disabled skipper (Jingkun XU)
  • 5 women (Clarisse CRÉMER, Samantha DAVIES, VioletteDORANGE, Pip HARE, Justine METTRAUX)
  • 22, the age of Violette DORANGE, the youngestcompetitor in the race
  • 5 skippers took part in the first edition in 2016(Fabrice AMEDEO, Jérémie BEYOU, Conrad COLMAN, Paul MEILHAT, Kojiro SHIRAISHI).
List of registered skippers:
  • Fabrice AMEDEO (Nexans - Arts & Fenêtres) - FRA
  • Romain ATTANASIO (Fortinet - Best Western) - FRA
  • Eric BELLION (STAND AS ONE) - FRA
  • Yannick BESTAVEN (Maître CoQ V) - FRA
  • Jérémie BEYOU (Charal) - FRA
  • Louis BURTON (Bureau Vallée) - FRA
  • Conrad COLMAN (Imagine) - USA/NZL
  • Manuel COUSIN (Coup de Pouce) - FRA
  • Clarisse CRÉMER (L'Occitane en Provence) - FRA
  • Charlie DALIN (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) - FRA
  • Samantha DAVIES (Initiatives-Cœur) - GBR
  • Violette DORANGE (DeVenir) - FRA
  • Benjamin DUTREUX (GUYOT environnement - Water Family)-FRA
  • Sam GOODCHILD (For the Planet) - GBR
  • James HARAYDA (Gentoo Sailing Team) - GBR
  • Pip HARE (Medallia) - GBR
  • Oliver HEER (Oliver Heer Ocean Racing) - SUI
  • Boris HERRMANN (Malizia - Seaexplorer) - GER
  • Nicolas LUNVEN (Holcim - PRB) - FRA
  • Paul MEILHAT (Biotherm) - FRA
  • Justine METTRAUX (Teamwork.net) - SUI
  • Yoann RICHOMME (Paprec Arkéa) - FRA
  • Alan ROURA (Hublot) - SUI
  • Thomas RUYANT (For People) - FRA
  • Scott SHAWYER (Be Water Positive) - CAN
  • Kojiro SHIRAISHI (DMG MORI Global One) - JAP
  • Sébastien SIMON (Groupe Dubreuil) - FRA
  • Maxime SOREL (V and B - Monbana - Mayenne) - FRA
  • Denis VAN WEYNBERGH (D'Ieteren Group) - BEL
  • Szabolcs WEORES (New Europe) - HON
  • Jingkun XU (China Dream Haikou) - CHI

Related Articles

Vendée Globe Monday 27th January Update
Too rough to approach Les Sables d'Olonne The storm in the North Atlantic has made it too rough in Les Sables d'Olonne for latest Vendée Globe finishers Benjamin Dutreux and Clarisse Crémer to enter the channel, so they've had to divert to La Rochelle for shelter. Posted today at 7:02 am
Clarisse Crémer finishes 11th in the Vendée Globe
After 77 days, 15 hours and 34 minutes at sea This Monday at 0336 hrs (UTC), Clarisse Crémer, skipper of L'Occitane en Provence, crossed the finish line of her second Vendée Globe, after 77 days, 15 hours and 34 minutes at sea to take a hard earned, very creditable 11th place. Posted today at 4:07 am
Benjamin Dutreux finishes 10th in the Vendée Globe
An impressive result for a sailor who sailed fast & smart and made some bold strategic choices The stormy skies, strong winds and big waves were not the kind of welcome home Vendéen solo racer Benjamin Dutreux would have preferred, but the determined skipper of GUYOT environnement - ??Water Family crossed the finish line of his second Vendée Globe. Posted on 26 Jan
Vendée Globe Sunday 26th January Update
More finishers, but a huge storm ahead for Sam and Boris With Nico Lunven finishing sixth on Friday evening Vendée Globe, Thomas Ruyant, Justine Mettraux and Sam Goodchild all finished on Saturday. We bring you finish highlights and dockside comments from Nico, Justine and Sam. Posted on 26 Jan
"There were so many great moments"
Sam Goodchild finishes ninth in the Vendée Globe The British sailor Sam Goodchild today finished his first Vendée Globe non-stop solo round-the-world race inside the top-10, after a testing final run into the finish off Les Sables d'Olonne on board his IMOCA 60, VULNERABLE. Posted on 25 Jan
Sam Goodchild finishes 9th in the Vendée Globe
After a final 36 hours of weather extremes Securing ninth place British solo skipper Sam Goodchild realised his long held dream when he crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe, the solo non-stop race around the world, this Saturday at 1403 hrs UTC. Posted on 25 Jan
Justine Mettraux finishes 8th in the Vendée Globe
The first female and the top international skipper to finish the race Swiss skipper Justine Mettraux crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe this Saturday at 1338 hrs (UTC) to secure eighth place in a time of 76 days, 01 hour, 36 minutes, 52 seconds. Posted on 25 Jan
Vendée Globe Saturday 25th January Update
A Flurry of Finishers in Les Sables d'Olonne After Jérémie Beyou finished the Vendée Globe in fourth place, Paul Meilhat arrives in Les Sables d'Olonne soon after in fifth, with Nico Lunven sixth on Friday evening, and now Thomas Ruyant arriving in seventh early on Saturday morning. Posted on 25 Jan
Thomas Ruyant, 7th in the Vendée Globe 2024
Crossing the finish line after 75 days, 16 hours and 47 minutes at sea This Saturday, January 25, at 04:49 UTC, after 75 days, 16 hours and 47 minutes at sea Thomas Ruyant, solo skipper of VULNERABLE, crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 7th position off Les Sables d'Olonne. Posted on 25 Jan
Nicolas Lunven, 6th in the Vendée Globe 2024
Crossing the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne at 19:51 UTC on Friday This Friday at 19:51 UTC, after 75 days, 07 hours and 49 minutes of racing, Nicolas Lunven crossed the Vendée Globe finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne in sixth place, in the midst of a building winter storm. Posted on 24 Jan