The Vendée Globe is a single-handed (solo) non-stop, unassisted round the world yacht race. The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, and since 1992 has taken place every four years. It is named after the Département of Vendée, in France, where the race starts and ends. The Vendée Globe is considered an extreme quest of individual endurance and the ultimate test in ocean racing.
The IMOCA is a 60ft development class monohull sailing yacht governed by the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA). The class pinnacle event are single or two person ocean races, such as the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe and this has been intimately linked to design development within the class. The class is recognised by World Sailing.
The 2020–2021 Vendée Globe was a non-stop round the world yacht race for IMOCA 60 class yachts crewed by only one person. It was the ninth edition of the race, which started and finished in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. The race began on 8 November 2020, with the first finishers completing the course on 27 January 2021 with the 25th and final yacht to complete the race arrived on 5 March 2021.
The 2016–2017 Vendée Globe was a non-stop solo Round the World Yacht Race for IMOCA 60 class yachts and the eighth edition of the race.
The 1996–1997 Vendée Globe was a non-stop round the world yacht race for IMOCA 50 and IMOCA 60 class yachts crewed by only one person. It was the third edition of the race, starting on 3 November 1996 from Les Sables-d'Olonne. The overall winner was Christophe Auguin who crossed the finish line on 17 February 1997 after a total time of 105 days, 20 hours and 31 minutes.
The 1992–1993 Vendée Globe was a non-stop solo Round the World Yacht Race for IMOCA 50 and IMOCA 60 class yachts, and started on the 22nd November 1992 from Les Sables-d'Olonne.
Jean-Pierre Dick is a French professional yachtsman.
Pieter Heerema was born on 6 June 1951 in Maracaibo (Venezuela), he is of Dutch nationality and an industrialist and amateur sailor who participates in the 2016–2017 Vendée Globe. Since 1989, he has been president of the Family Group Heerema which manufactures, among other things, drilling rigs.
The 2024–2025 Vendée Globe is a non-stop round the world yacht race for IMOCA 60 class yachts crewed by only one person. It is the tenth edition of the race; it started, and will finish, in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Banque Populaire VIII was launched on 9 June 2015. It was designed by Guillaume Verdier and VPLP and constructed by CDK Technologies in France.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht DCNS was designed by Finot-Conq and launched in the 2008 after being built at Multiplast shipyard in Vannes, with the deck made by the Larros shipyard in Arcachon.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Bonduelle 2, FRA 59 was designed by Marc Lombard and launched in the April 2004 after being built by JMV based in Cherbourg, France. The boat was lost during the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe following the loss of the keel bulb. The skipper Jean Le Cam was rescued by fellow competitor Vincent Riou.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Whirlpool-Europe 2 was designed by Marc Lombard and launched in the August 1998 after being built Mag in France.
The IMOCA 60 class racing yacht Groupe Bel was launched in 2007 to a design by VPLP and Guillaume Verdier and constructed by Indiana Yachting in Italy.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Saint Michel - Virbac, FRA 06, was designed by VPLP design and Guillaume Verdier and launched on 11 September 2015 after being built by Multiplast in Vannes, France.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Arkéa Paprec, FRA 4 was designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian and launched on 19 July 2019 after being built CDK Technologies in Port La Forêtin, France
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Spirit Of Hungary, HUN 77, was designed by Nándor Fa and Attila Dery-Hu for the former to compete in the Barcelona World Race and Vendée Globe and launched in the 7 April 2014 after being built Pauger Composite based in Kápolnásnyék in Hungary.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Corum L'Epargne, FRA 9 was designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian and launched on 5 May 2020 after being built CDK Technologies based in Lorient, France.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Credit Agricole IV was designed and built by Marc Lombard. The boat's original skipper formed a company "Jeantot Marine" which built the boat. It was launched in January 1989. The boat was lost while racing unofficially in the 1996-1997 Vendée Globe with Italian skipper Raphael Dinelli dramatically rescued by fellow competitor Pete Goss.
The Transat New York Vendée- Les Sables d'Olonne is a solo transatlantic race aboard IMOCA 60 monohulls. It is part of the IMOCA Globe Series circuit. The 3,100 nautical miles route starts in New York City and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée Region, France.
