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 first around the world sailing record for circumnavigation of the world can be attributed to the surviving crew of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, including the last captain Juan Sebastián Elcano who completed their journey in 1522.
Yoann Richomme is a French navigator, sailor and yacht skipper. He has won the Solitaire du Figaro in 2016 and 2019 and the Route du Rhum in the Class 40 category in 2018 and 2022. In the Imoca class, he won the Retour à la Base 2023 and The Transat 2024.
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.
Kevin Escoffier is a French professional sailor born on 4 April 1980 in Saint-Malo, France and a resident of Lorient. He is an offshore sailor who has won the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race as a bowman onboard DongFeng and competed in the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe aboard PRB. In 2022-23, he initially skippered Holcim-PRB in The Ocean Race, before leaving the team amid a sexual misconduct probe. He is a member of the yacht club SN Baie St. Malo.
The 2004–2005 Vendée Globe was a non-stop solo round-the-world yacht race for IMOCA 60 class yachts. The fifth edition of the race started on 7 November 2004 from Les Sables-d'Olonne.
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.
Nándor Fa is a Hungarian yachtsman, born on 9 July 1953 in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
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 Bagages Superior 101 was designed by Group Finot and launched in 1992 after being built by CDK Technologies based in Lorient, France. The boat was the only ketch rig to win the Vendée Globe for later races the mizzen was removed but the boat is now based in Poland.
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 Brit Air (2), sail number FRA 62, was designed by Finot-Conq and launched in July 2007 after being built by Multiplast in France. Not to be confused with the IMOCA 60 Sodebo was rebranded for the 2006 season and competed as Brit Air while this boat was inbuild.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht L'Occitane en Provence, FRA 2, was designed by Sam Manuard and launched on the 31st January 2020 after being assembled by Black Pepper Yachts based in Nantes, France. Pauger Composites in Hungary did the hull moulding.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht Hugo Boss 2 was designed by Group Finot and launched in the 2007 after being built by Jason Carrington/Neville Hutton in Lymington, England.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht SODEBO savourons la vie, 25 was designed by Finot-Conq and launched in October 1998, after being made by Kirié in France. The boat was lost in 2016 while on charter to Richard Tolkien when he abandoned ship after suffering an injury to the head. The wreckage was found near Porto Rico.
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 Group LG 2 was designed by Finot-Conq and launched in 1995 after being made by MAG-JMV in Cherbourg in France. The Canadian skipper Gerry Roufs lost his life when the boat overturned in the southern ocean during the 1996-1997 Vendée Globe.
Paprec Arkéa (6) is an IMOCA 60 monohull sailing yacht, designed by Antoine Koch and Finot-Conqm built by Multiplast in France, and launched on 22 February 2023. It is designed for the Vendée Globe 2024, a non-stop, round the world solo race. Its skipper is the French offshore sailor Yoann Richomme.
For People is an IMOCA 60 monohull sailing yacht, designed by Antoine Koch in cooperation with Finot-Conq, constructed by CDK Technologies in France, and launched on 16 March 2023. It is designed for the Vendée Globe 2024, a non-stop round-the-world solo race. It is skippered by the French offshore sailor Thomas Ruyant.
