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.
Jean Le Cam is a French sailor.
Isabelle Autissier is a French sailor, navigator, writer, and broadcaster. She is celebrated for being the first woman to have completed a solo world navigation in competition. Based in La Rochelle since 1980, she is also a writer and honorary president of World Wildlife Fund-France.
Pascal Bidegorry is a French sailor.
Loïck Peyron is a French yachtsman, younger brother of the yachtsman Bruno Peyron.
François Gabart is a French professional offshore yacht racer who won the 2012-13 Vendée Globe in 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes, setting a new race record. In 2017 he set the speed record for sailing around the globe, in 42 days 16 hours 40 minutes and 35 seconds, finishing on 17 December. He was sailing solo in the 30 metre Trimaran Macif.
Alex Pella is a Spanish yachtsman. In 2014 he became the first Spaniard to win a transoceanic single-handed race, the Route du Rhum. Alex Pella made history once again, on 26 January 2017, when he broke, with the rest of the team, the absolute round-the-world speed sailing record, known as the Jules Verne Trophy, aboard the sophisticated maxi-multihull IDEC 3. They circumnavigated the planet in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.
The International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) is the governing body of the IMOCA class. Its main task is to design the class regulations for the ocean racing yachts IMOCA 60 and organising single-handed regattas. It was established in 1991. IMOCA has been a member of World Sailing (governing body of international sailing sport) since 1999.
Armel Le Cléac’h is a French professional navigator and sea captain. He was the IMOCA world champion in 2008 and French champion in single-handed yacht race in 2003. He notably won the Solitaire du Figaro twice, the Transat AG2R in 2004 and 2010 and the Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race in 2016. He finished second in both the 2008–09 and 2012–13 editions of the Vendée Globe. In the Vendée Globe 2016–17, he finished first with a new record time of 74d, 3h 35m, 46s. His performance earned him the 2018 Laureus World Sports Award for Action Sportsperson of the Year.
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.
Jérémie Beyou is a French professional offshore sailor born on 27 June 1976 in Landivisiau (Finistère). He is a member of C N Lorient Sailing Club.
Nicolas Troussel is a French professional offshore sailor born on 11 May 1974 in Morlaix (Finistère). He has twice won the Solitaire du Figaro, in 2006 and 2008.
The 2008–2009 Vendée Globe was a non-stop solo Round the World Yacht Race for IMOCA 60 class yachts and the sixth edition of the race.
Marc Thiercelin, known as "Captain Marck", is a French professional yachtsman, born on October 29, 1960, in Saâcy-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne). He totals five solo rounds of the world together with 22 transatlantic races, seven editions of the Solitaire du Figaro and five Tour de France sailing. He completed four complete tours of Antarctica and four solo Cape Horns for a total of 700,000 km covered on all the world's oceans.
Roland Jourdain, often nicknamed "Bilou" is a French professional yachtsman, born on 28 April 1964 in Quimper. He has twice won the Route du Rhum transatlantic race.
Jean-Pierre Dick is a French professional yachtsman.
Sébastien Simon is a French professional offshore sailor.
Susann Beucke is a German sailor who competes offshore races of the Figaro Bénéteau 3 and IMOCA 60 classes. Before focusing on offshore sailing she competed in Olympic sailing, primarily in the 49er FX class, winning the silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo along with Tina Lutz, representing Germany.
