The Vendee Globe is a sailing race around the world, non-stop, unassisted and is considered to be the ultimate adventure for single-handed sailors. The race began thanks to Philippe Jeantot, a legendary sailor who won two BOC Challenges (a race around the world over four legs) before deciding that a non-stop race around the world was needed. On the 26th November 1989, the first Vendée Globe start gun was fired and 13 skippers crossed the line. Since then, the race has taken place every four years, with all sailors racing IMOCA Open 60s. These boats race for 25,000 miles, with their skippers away at sea for approximately three months.
Starting and finishing in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, several hundred thousand people are able to descend onto the docks to watch the action. A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to sail into this special port, delivering the Mini back from Dournanez to Les Sables d'Olonne as Becky Scott prepared for the Les Sables - Azores Race. The race was to be 2600nm, a long way in a very small boat, with the self and boat preparation being very similar to the Vendée Globe, albeit on a much smaller scale! A few weeks later I was back in Les Sables d'Olonne, this time getting some idea of what the race atmosphere will be like this weekend. I had arrived just as some of the boats were finishing the Azores race, flares were set off, beers were cracked open and you could sense the joy and relief on finishing a big race. When the Vendée skippers arrive back here in a few months, the atmosphere is going to be electric. From reading a few accounts of these big races, such as Ellen MacArthur's and Nick Moloney's, I expect they will feel a mix of relief, joy, and also sadness that it is over.
Getting to the start line of the Vendée Globe is no mean feat! Only the most determined, organised, passionate and supported solo sailors make it this far as it is only through years of hard work, training and campaigning that a sailor can acquire the experience, knowledge and equipment needed to compete in such a race. Only monohull yachts complying with the IMOCA class rules are eligible to compete, with the skipper needing to qualify for a space on the start line. In a way this is similiar to campagining a Mini Transat, you can compete in the Series class (one design) or in a prototype (individual designs which must comply with strict class rules). Also like the Vendée, to compete in the Mini Transat race the skipper must accumlate a 1000 nm from racing and complete a further 1000 nm solo passage.
As a Solo sailor, skippers competing in the Vendee Globe are not allowed to receive outside assistance as they sail around the world. This means no personalized weather service, no equipment that could be remotely controlled by a third party, no personalized medical support that would improve performance and no supplies given to them by other people. Again, this is very similar to sailing a Mini, except you wouldn't have all the fancy navigation and computer equipment! Skippers are however allowed to contact people ashore via telephone and email (as long as it is not for 'help'!), and they can pull into port, moor or anchor in case of extreme emergencies, to make repairs or administer themselves medical treatment. Throughout the race there is an official doctor that they are able to contact for advice, and they receive weather information each day, published by Meteo France (these reports get distributed via email at 08:00 and 20:00 UTC everyday). The skippers are told five race rankings a day, to help them make tactical decisions knowing where they stand in the race.
In order to save weight and to make food preparation easier, freeze dried food is consumed during the race. Whole meals are provided in foil packets, with hot water added to them. These days there are a wide range of freeze dried foods available, from bangers and mash, chocolate pudding and Christmas dinner! Last year with the Artemis Academy I sampled 30 meals on one plate, a represenative from Round the World Foods came in, so that we could try a selection of freeze dried meals. Some I thought were absolutely disguisting, like the lamb curry, while others such as the potato and Salmon mix would happily keep me going for a few months!
In the final few months leading up to the start, skippers find themselves very busy attending meetings and interviews. This year skippers had to arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne by the 19th October. Over the following days skippers have their registration documents inspected, attend a welcome and weather briefings, and have a scrutineering session to check that they apply with class rules. Again, this is similiar to preparing for any offshore race, where attending all of your briefings and gathering as much information as you can is just as important as satisfying your sponsors needs.
Start day is a very busy time to be in Les Sables d'Olonne, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the coast line to see the boats off. Skippers will be chased for interviews, autographs, photographs and meetings, while trying to make final preparations to their boats and spend a few precious moments with loved ones. Moments before the start of the race all the skippers must take part in a crewed 'parade', raising their sails to show off their sponsors logos, wave to the crowds and say a final goodbye to their support teams. The start is a whirlwind of emotions, activity and physical exertion, as they cross the line for three months non-stop at sea. I'm looking forward to following the Vendee Globe, tracking the sailors' progress and learning what I can from the virtual game, media reports and video blogs...maybe one day I too could be on that start line... if I'm lucky!