Notice of Race for the Vendée Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne 2022 is published

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  • Alain Leboeuf, President of SAEM Vendée, the organisers of the Vendée Arctique and the Vendée Globe, publish the Notice of Race detailing the rules for participation in the Vendée Arctique - the first
  • qualifying race for the Vendée Globe 2024
  • The skippers will have to qualify on the Guyader - Bermudes 1000 Race or on a course of at least 800 miles
  • Entry registrations open on Thursday, March 31, 2022 with the number of potential entrants growing all the time
  • The 2022 Vendée Arctique will leave from Port Olona on June 12, 2022

A qualification race which meets the requirements of the course
The Vendée Arctique is a non-stop solo offshore race with no outside assistance allowed following in the pure tradition of the Vendée Globe. Now approaching its second edition it is a very unique and demanding event, an extreme adventure very much in keeping with the ethos of the Vendée Globe and the IMOCA class. The solo racers set off northwards the direction of the Arctic Circle, circumnavigating Iceland, before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne, following a demanding 3,500-mile course.

As organisers the primary duty of SAEM Vendée, is to ensure the safety of sailors, to provide fair racing and to optimise conditions so that as many starters can finish the race and advance their knowledge, experience and their qualification requirements for the 2024 Vendée Globe.

To ensure the skippers are best prepared to face the hostile, icy northern waters Race Direction of the organisation, led by Francis Le Goff, has defined the rules for participation in the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne.

Each skipper must qualify solo on the boat that will do the Vendée Arctique, finishing before May 14, 2022 choosing between

  • The Guyader – Bermudes 1000 Race (1,200 nautical miles)
  • A qualification course of at least 800 nautical miles
  • Two qualifying courses, the sum of which will be greater than 1,000 nautical miles

In the event that the skipper elects to do a qualifying course rather than the race, at least one of the two must enable them to sail at least 100 miles in wind and sea conditions of at least force 5 on the Beaufort scale.