Please select your home edition
Edition
Vaikobi Custom Teamwear

The Vendée Globe 2024 has set sail

by IMOCA Globe Series 10 Nov 2024 14:25 PST 10 November 2024
The start of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 © Jean-Marie Liot / Vendée Globe

This Sunday, at precisely 1:02 PM, the long-awaited start of the Vendée Globe was unleashed. Forty skippers, driven by dreams as vast as the sea itself, set off on a legendary voyage—solo, non-stop, unassisted—embarking on a journey of over 24,000 nautical miles (around 45,000 km) around the globe.

They sailed into fickle winds, whispering between 4 and 7 knots, a gentle beginning to what will be an epic race. The serene start was a stark contrast to the morning's whirlwind of emotions. At dawn, between 8 and 10 AM, they cast off their moorings after tearful farewells on the docks. As they navigated the iconic channel of Les Sables-d'Olonne, they waved to the hundreds of thousands who had gathered, shoulder to shoulder, lining the quays with cheers and hope, a sea of faces there to send them off.

In those final moments before the gunshot start, the last crew members took a leap into the water, leaving the skippers alone with the boundless ocean ahead. Tonight, as the wind begins to rise, they will face their first night at sea—just them, their boats, and the infinite horizon. It's the start of a journey measured not just in miles but in heartbeats, a dance with the elements, and a testament to human spirit across the vast, untamed oceans.

Related Articles

The Ocean Race Europe Leg 5 Day 3
Paprec Arkéa leads as new breeze sends IMOCA fleet speeding south Yoann Richomme's Paprec Arkéa team took two points for leading through the Leg 5 Scoring Gate ahead of Allagrande Mapei Racing. Posted on 9 Sep
Adventure Sport is moving much closer to audience
OnboardLive opens up new storytelling avenues for The Ocean Race A new innovative technology solution, OnboardLive©, is making it possible to experience adventure sports, including offshore sailing, live, and in high-definition broadcast quality, even from the most remote corners of the world. Posted on 9 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 5 Day 2
The fleet makes slow progress under a Blood Moon eclipse Painfully light winds along the Italian and French coasts overnight have meant slow sailing for the crews on the way from Genova to Boka Bay. Posted on 8 Sep
Team Malizia Sets Sail on Final Leg
Mediterranean Showdown in The Ocean Race Europe This Sunday afternoon, Team Malizia set sail on the fifth and final leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025. At 15:00 local time, the crew onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer crossed the Leg 5 start line in Genova, Italy. Posted on 7 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 5 Start
Close action but a slow start from Genova The seven international teams competing in The Ocean Race Europe have set off from Genova on the 5th and final leg - a complicated 1,600-nautical mile passage through the Mediterranean and into the Adriatic Sea on the way to Boka Bay, Montenegro. Posted on 7 Sep
Biotherm set for The Ocean Race Europe final leg
2,000 miles and 8 days of racing amidst the islands, headlands and straits On Sunday 7 September at 15:00 hours, Biotherm and her six rivals will head back out to sea for a 5th and final epic leg bound for Montenegro. 2,000 miles and 8 days of racing amidst the islands, headlands and straits of the Mare Nostrum. Posted on 7 Sep
Holcim-PRB crew aiming for podium
Condifent ahead of final leg in The Ocean Race Europe The final leg of The Ocean Race Europe will set off tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. local time. From Genoa, the fleet will set sail to Boka Bay, Montenegro. This finish promises to be intense for the Holcim-PRB crew, who are aiming for a podium finish. Posted on 6 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 5 Preview
Why the final race to Montenegro promises to be spectacular This Sunday, the seven crews in The Ocean Race Europe will line up for the ultimate challenge: a 2,000-mile showdown from Genoa, Italy to Boka Bay, Montenegro. Posted on 6 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 4 Video Review
Home win for Allagrande Mapei Racing Ambrogio Beccaria's (ITA) Allagrande Mapei Racing (ITA) delivered a spectacular home-team triumph in the early hours of Wednesday morning, taking first place on Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 into Genoa. Posted on 4 Sep
Team Malizia finishes The Ocean Race Europe Leg 4
“Not the Result We Wanted, But More Determined Than Ever” Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia finished Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in sixth place after a challenging Mediterranean leg that saw the fleet depart from Nice, France, round Corsica, and race to Genova, Italy. Posted on 3 Sep
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTER