Please select your home edition
Edition
CoastWaterSports 2014

Vendée Globe Monday 20th January Update - Heading into the North Atlantic Storm

by Mark Jardine 20 Jan 07:44 GMT 20 January 2025

The storm which the Vendée Globe leaders on the water have been watching closely for the past few days is now upon them.

Sam Goodchild and Jeremie Beyou are the first to feel its effect, and it's set to bring them 45 knot winds, with gusts in excess of that, and 8 metre seas. This Vendée Globe certainly has a sting its tail for them.

We hear from Sam Goodchild and Nico Lunven, and then I chat with Frédéric Bouvier of J Composites, who are based in Les Sables d'Olonne, about his sailing with podium finisher and hometown sailor Seb Simon.

We then look at the Tracker and Leaderboard, concluding with an update from Conrad Colman, who runs us through a sail change from J2 to J0.

Find out more...

Related Articles

The Last Waltz, One final big storm
The closer they get to the Vendée Globe finish, the more they think about it Now expected to finish into the Les Sables d'Olonne late on Wednesday British skipper Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) is on course for fourth place but needs to hold out through one final storm, whilst at the same time contain his nearest rivals Posted on 19 Jan
Vendée Globe Sunday 19th January Update
The Calm Before the Storm, Goodchild Climbs The Mast Climbing the 29 mast on on an IMOCA yacht is a daunting task, but when repairs need to be made it's an essential job for the skippers in the Vendée Globe. Both Sam Goodchild and Jean Le Cam had to go up the rig on Saturday. Posted on 19 Jan
A North Atlantic sting in the tale
A big depression will face the Vendée Globe skippers The North Atlantic and the notorious Bay of Biscay look set to deal up one big final challenge before they can complete their solo non stop round the world race. Posted on 18 Jan
Vendée Globe Saturday 18th January Update
What is it with J2's in this edition of the race? The J2 seems to have been a weak point on the IMOCA yachts during this edition of the Vendée Globe, and Jean Le Cam is the latest skipper to have to make repairs to this vital part of his rig after his J2 cable snapped. Posted on 18 Jan
Sébastien Simon 3rd in the Vendée Globe
The first Les Sables d'Olonne skipper to finish on podium in race history "The welcome was extraordinary, despite the freezing cold. It was an incredible moment, and I will retain such unforgettable memories of it. Everything went by so quickly that I feel like I left yesterday." Posted on 17 Jan
Vendée Globe Friday 17th January Update
Séb Simon completes Vendée Globe podium French skipper Sébastien Simon crossed the Vendée Globe finish line in third place at 00:27 UTC on Friday January 17, after 67 days, 12 hours and 25 minutes of racing, finishing 2 days and 17 hours behind the overall winner. Posted on 17 Jan
Sébastien Simon, 3rd in the 2024 Vendée Globe
The first time a sailor from Les Sables d'Olonne has finished on the podium French skipper Sébastien Simon crossed the Vendée Globe finish line in third place* at 00h27 (UTC) on Friday January 17, after 67 days, 12 hours and 25 minutes of racing, finishing 2 days and 17 hours behind the overall winner. Posted on 17 Jan
Vendée Globe Thursday 16th January Update
Simon cruising in safe mode towards a Sablais podium While the Les Sables d'Olonne skipper Sébastien Simon is completing his final miles towards his home port to complete an emotional, important third place on the Vendée Globe, Germany's Boris Herrmann is facing a whole new level of challenge. Posted on 16 Jan
Vendée Globe Thursday 16th January Update
Storms, Plum Seeds, Mazu and Ropes! Antoine Cornic has rounded Cape Horn, we have an update on Yoann Richomme after he finished in second place on PAPREC ARKÉA, then Sam Goodchild looks at the North Atlantic storm that the next group are going to have to navigate. Posted on 16 Jan
Yoann Richomme reflects on his first Vendée Globe
"I want to continue to progress, to go forward and to have fun in what I'm doing." "It was fantastic, it was wonderful. This is a great moment and I was happy to have waited a little bit (before the finish), so that yesterday was Charlie's day and today is mine. Posted on 15 Jan