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.
Pip Hare, earlier known as Pip Hildesley, is a British yachtswoman, journalist and sailing coach. She was an entrant in the 2020 and 2024 Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht races.
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.
Maxime Sorel is a French professional offshore sailor born on 11 August 1986 in Saint-Malo and now residing in Concarneau, France. He finished 10th in the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe, a solo, non-stop round-the-world yacht race for IMOCA 60 class yachts.
Alexia Barrier is a French sailor who competed in the 2020–2021 Vendee Globe. Competing with the oldest boat in the fleet and only securing sufficient funding months before the start, she completed the race in 111 days, 17 hours, 03 minutes.
Christophe Fourcault de Pavant, also known as Kito de Pavant, is a French sailor.
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 Estrella Damm was designed by Farr Yacht Design and launched in the 2007 after being built by Offshore Challenges who are not a boatbuilder but brought in specialist to build the boat in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England. This racing yacht is not to be confused with Estrella Damm 2, which competed in the 2010 Barcelona World Race.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht PRB 4 was designed by Lauriot-Prévost and G. Verdier and launched in 2010 after being assembled by CDK Technologies based in Lorient, France. The hull was moulded in those of Safran and manufactured at the Larros Shipyard in Gujan Mestras under the direction of Thierry Elluère. The deck will was made at CDK technologies in Port la Forêt. In Italy, near Milan, Refraschini manufacture the internal structure of the boat. The initial keel was made by AMPM, Mothe Achard.
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 Apivia Mutuelle, FRA 79 was designed by Guillaume Verdier and launched in 2019 after being built CDK Technologies based in Lorient, France. The boat's initial skipper who is also a Naval Architect Charlie Dalin had significant input as did MerConcept the company headed by François Gabart.
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 Paprec-Virbac 2 was designed by Farr Yacht Design, assembled by Southern Ocean Marine based in New Zealand and then shipped to France where it was launched in 2007. The boat is a sister ship to Gitana 80, also built by the same builder from the same moulds.
The IMOCA 60 class yacht MACSF was designed by Lauriot-Prévost and G. Verdier and launched in the August 2007 after being built by Chantier Naval de Laros 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 LinkedOut, FRA 79 was designed by Guillaume Verdier, built by the Italy-based Persico Marine and launched on 9 July 2019.
The Retour à la base, formerly Transat B to B is a transatlantic single-handed yacht race exclusive to IMOCA 60 yachts, which first took place in 2007. It was introduced as a return race from destination of the Transat Jacques Vabre to Brittany, Metropolitan France, home to most IMOCA teams.
