There will be 25 solo skippers at the start
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For its second edition, the Vendée Arctic – Les Sables d’Olonne race has attracted a strong line-up at just over two years from the start of 2024’s 10th edition of the Vendée Globe. The sporting as well as the media successes of the phenomenal 2020-2021 edition have really stimulated skippers’ projects and their sponsors, so that this time the transition phase from one race to the next has proven to be particularly short. The Arctic Vendée is the first of the five races* for skippers to qualify to be at the start of the the Vendée Globe 2024. So naturally skippers want to get qualified as quickly as possible.
The start of the Vendée Arctic will be sounded on Sunday June 12 at 1700hrs local time off Les Sables d’Olonne. The 25 skippers will then face 3,500 miles of a challenging and unprecedented course, which will take them on a race of discovery to the northern waters of the Arctic Circle. .
The Vendée is a French Department for which tourism is a main economic activity. It is looking to strengthen its position as a premium organizer of offshore ocean races at the same time seeking to lengthen and augment their tourist seasons. In the pure tradition of the Vendée Globe, the race embraces its widespread popular following with a large race village open in Les Sables d’Olonne for 3 weeks, from June 4 to 26.
The festivities will begin with a Grand Parade of 2020-2021 Vendée Globe skippers on Friday June 3 at 9.30 p.m.
THE VENDÉE ARCTIC– LES SABLES D’OLONNE – A HIGH LEVEL ENTRY
Seventeen of the 25 skippers who have entered the Vendée Arctic competed in the Vendée Globe; 15 took the start on November 8, 2020. Eight sailors are therefore competing in this race as they head forwards on their course towards their first Vendée Globe.
The "seasoned" Vendée Globe (17 skippers):
These skipper raced the ninth edition in 2020 (15 skippers): Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans - Art & Fenetres), Romain Attanasio (Fortinet - Best Western), Jérémie Beyou (Charal), Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline), Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée), Manuel Cousin (Sétin Group), Charlie Dalin (FRA / Apivia), Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environnement - Water Family), Pip Hare (Medallia), Isabelle Joschke (MACSF), Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group), Alan Roura ( Hublot), Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), Damien Seguin (Apicil Group), Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG Mori Global One).
Among them, two female skippers: Pip Hare (Medallia), Isabelle Joschke (MACSF),
They raced the eighth edition in 2016 (2 skippers):
Éric Bellion (Comme un seul homme powered by Altavia), Conrad Colman (Imagine).
The "Rookies" who dream of their 1st Vendée Globe in 2024 (8 skippers):
Antoine Cornic (Ebac Literie), Louis Duc (Fives – Lantana Environnement), Benjamin Ferré (Benjamin envoie le Pépin), Nicolas Lunven (Banque Populaire), Sébastien Marsset (Cap Agir Ensemble), Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com), Szabolcs Weöres (Hongrois, Szabi Racing), Denis Van Weynbergh (Belge, Laboratoires de Biarritz).
The Skippers in figures:
- 25 participants including 2 female skippers (Pip Hare and Isabelle Joschke)
- 8 international skippers: Szabolcs Weöres (Hungarian), Denis Van Weynbergh (Belgian), Pip Hare (British), Isabelle Joschke (French-German), Giancarlo Pedote (Italian), Alan Roura (Swiss), Kojiro Shiraishi (Japanese), Conrad Colman (American and New Zealander).
- 10 nationalities represented including binationals: France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United States.
- The fleet is made up of 14 IMOCAs with foils, and 11 IMOCAs with straight daggerboards.