The Vendée Globe is a single-handed non-stop round the world yacht race. The race, which takes place every four years, is regarded by yachtsmen and women as a serious test of individual endurance.

The race was founded by French yachtsman, Phillipe Jeantot , in 1989. Since 2003 the race has been run by the Vendee regional council.

Yacht Types

The race is open to monohull yachts with an overall length of between 50 and 60 feet.

2004 race in progress: Vendee Globe 2004 website

The Course

The course starts and ends at the port of Les Sables d'Olonne in France. Competitors must then sail more than twenty-five thousand miles non-stop around the world past the complulsory points which are;

• Les Sables d'Olonne
• The Canaries
• Keep the Antarctic to starboard
• Keep Heard Island to starboard
• Keep a marker at 50°S 90°E to starboard
• Keep a marker at 57°S 180° to starboard
• Keep a marker at 57°S 120°W to starboard
• Keep a marker at 27°S 67°W to starboard
• Keep the Cape Horn to port
• Return to Les Sables d’Olonne

See a diagram of the course.

Previous Winners

2000-2001

1 - Michel Desjoyeaux  (Fra, PRB) : 93d3h57'32
2 - Ellen MacArthur (G.B, Kingfisher) : 94d4h25'40
3 - Roland Jourdain (Fra, Sill Matines La potagère) : 96d1h2'33
4 - Marc Thiercelin (Fra, Active Wear) : 102d20h37'49
5 - Dominic Wavre (Switzerland, Union bancaire Privée) : 105d2h45'12
6 - Thomas Coville (Fra, Sodébo) : 105d7h24'
7 - Mike Golding (G.B, Team Group 4) : 110d16h22'
8 - Bernard Gallay (Fra-Switzerland, Voilà.fr) : 111d16h7'11
9 - Josh Hall (G.B, Gartmore) : 111d19h48'2
10 - Joé Seeten (Fra, Nord-pas-de-Calais/chocolats du Monde) : 115d16h46'50
11 - Patrice Carpentier (Fra, VM Matériaux) : 116d00h32'48
12 - Simone Bianchetti (Ita, Aquarelle.com) : 121d1h28'
13 - Yves Parlier (Fra, Aquitaine Innovations) : 126d23h36
14 - Didier Munduteguy (Fra, DDP/60è Sud) : 135d15h17'55
15 - Pasquale de Gregorio (Ita, Wind Telecommunicazioni) : 158d2h37'25

1996-1997

1 - Christophe Auguin  (Fra, Geodis) : 105d20h31'
2 - Marc Thiercelin (Fra, Crédit Immobilier de France) : 113d8h26'
3 - Hervé Laurent (Fra, Groupe LG-Traitmat) : 114d16h43'
4 - Eric Dumont (Fra, Café Legal-Le Goût) : 116d16h43'
5 - Pete Goss (G.B, Aqua Quorum) : 126d21h25'
6 - Catherine Chabaud (Fra, Whirlpool-Europe 2) : 140d04h38'
Lost at sea: Gerry Roufs  (Can, Groupe LG2)

1992-1993

1 - Alain Gautier  (Fra, Bagages Superior) : 110d02h22'35
2 - Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (Fra, Groupe Sofap-Helvim) : 116d15h01'11
3 - Philippe Poupon (Fra, Fleury-Michon X) : 117d03h34'24
4 - Yves Parlier (Fra, Cacolac d'Aquitaine) : 125d02h42'24
5 - Nandor Fa (Hungary, K&H Banque Matav) : 128d16h05'04
6 - José de Ugarte (Spain, Euskadi Europ 93 BBK) : 134d05h04'00
7 - Jean-Yves Hasselin (Fra, PRB/Solo Nantes) : 153d05h14'00

1989-1990

1 - Titouan Lamazou  (Fra, Ecureuil d'Aquitaine II) : 109d8h48'50
2 - Loïck Peyron (Fra, Lada Poch) : 110d01h18'06
3 - Jean-Luc Van den Heede (Fra, 36.15 MET) : 112d01h14'00
4 - Philippe Jeantot (Fra, Crédit Agricole IV) : 113d23h47'47
5 - Pierre Follenfant (Fra, TBS-Charente Maritime) : 114d21h09'06
6 - Alain Gautier (Fra, Generali Concorde) : 132d13h01'48
7 - Jean-François Coste (Fra, Cacharel) : 163d01h19'20