The Runners and Riders, who’s who?

The tenth Vendée Globe: The Runners and Riders, who’s who?

by Vendee Globe Media 26 Oct 09:13 PDT
10 November 2024

Who’re the favourites? Who’re the outsiders? Who may spring a shock? Forty solo sailors set off on Sunday November 10 here is a have a look at the road up and who may do what…

The Favourites: A gang of seven

This tremendous seven are most repeatedly tipped because the favourites. An unmissable, unquestionable favorite is Charlie Dalin. He crossed the end line first in 2021 and completed second general after time compensation that a number of sailors, together with the winner, Yannick Bestaven, benefited from. Since then, Dalin has gained the Vendée-Arctique (2022), the Rolex Fastnet Race (2023) and the New York-Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne (2024). He has a brand new Verdier boat, MACIF Santé Prévoyance, which has impressed since its launch. “I really feel like I’ve made a variety of progress and am stronger than final time,” he confides. “However I am not the one one!”

So too, although, Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) who has been simply as spectacular because the final version. The sailor from the north of France gained the final two Transat Jacques Vabre two handed races(2021, 2023) and the solo Route du Rhum (2022). He additionally reckons he “has a ship that may win”. However then there may be additionally Jérémie Beyou who’s making ready to set off for a fifth consecutive Vendée Globe marketing campaign. “I really feel like I’ve skilled every part on this race besides truly successful”, admits the skipper of Charal who launched his new Manuard boat in 2022 and who has actually benefited from the experience of Franck Cammas to assist make it quick and dependable.

Two Newcomers

Added to this trio are two newcomers: Yoann Richomme and Britain’s Sam Goodchild. Yoann Richomme is flying the colors of PAPREC ARKÉA racing an in depth sistership of VULNERABLE. Double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the Route du Rhum (in Class40), he has already gained two transatlantic races in IMOCA (Retour à la Base in 2023, The Transat final spring). Sam Goodchild, for his half, took over the ex-LinkedOut (VULNERABLE) from Thomas Ruyant and scored two podiums (third within the Transat Jacques Vabre and Retour à la Base) and is IMOCA Globe Collection champion.

This record of favourites should additionally embody Germany’s Boris Hermann (Malizia -Seaexplorer) and Briton Sam Davies (Initiatives-Cœur), two of the skippers who’ve sailed probably the most nautical miles because the final Vendée Globe. Herrmann has podiumed in The Ocean Race (third), The Transat CIC (2nd) and New York-Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne (2nd). Sam Davies has been on the rostrum for the primary time within the IMOCA final spring (third in The Transat CIC) and is out for a sort of revenge, 4 years after her enforced retirement into Cape City.

The Outsiders: A tightly matched ‘prime 10’

There are various who hope to be within the ‘prime 10’, and dream of a ‘prime 5’. On this class, there are those that are used to the highest ten locations in earlier races. That is the case for Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux who has the ex-Charal1 (TeamWork – Group Snef), Sébastien Simon who advantages from the ex-Eleventh Hour winner of The Ocean Race (Groupe Dubreuil) or Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT-environnement-Water Household) one of many revelations of the final version.

Many are very skilled: the defending champion Yannick Bestaven (Maître Coq V), Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) on the rostrum of the final Vendée Globe, Franco German Isabelle Joschke (MACSF) and Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian). Paul Meilhat (Biotherm), is again after a primary participation in 2016, and Nicolas Lunven (HOLCIM-PRB) are tremendous skilled and can be within the match for certain. Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne) and Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL), whose relationships with their sponsors ends on the finish of the Vendée Globe, can be eager to shine. Romain Attanasio (Fortinet -Finest Western), Switzerland’s Alan Roura (Hublot) who races the previous boat of Alex Thomson and begins his third Vendée Globe and Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence) may also be eager to battle for the ‘prime 10’ beginning her second race as will the Briton Pip Hare (Medallia) who completed ninth on the New York Vendée and Eleventh on the Retour à La Base. Meantime Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline) who’s setting off for a fifth Vendée Globe and Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI World One) who’s collaborating in his third race.

The Battle of the Daggerboard Boats

Alongside the foilers, 16 daggerboard boats are additionally setting off. Whereas they don’t have the identical pace qualities because the foilers, they’ll typically maintain their very own relying on the circumstances. Jean Le Cam and Benjamin Dutreux demonstrated this on the final version by ending 4th and ninth respectively. This yr, Jean Le Cam has a brand new David Raison designed daggerboard boat (Tout begin en Finistère – Armor-lux) which is an identical to that of Éric Bellion (STAND AS ONE). Up towards them, they are going to face the fervour of Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur – DUO for a JOB), the adventurous character of Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com), the youthful vitality of Violette Dorange (DeVenir), the relentless drive of Tanguy Le Turquais (Lazare) and the audacity of Louis Duc (Fives Group-Lantana Environnement).

Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce) and Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans – Wewise) have been on the beginning line throughout the 2020-2021 version, similar to New Zealander Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) was in 2016, additionally hope to have their say. We may also be following intently the primary Vendée Globe of the Chinese language racer Jingkun Xu (Singchain Group Haikou), the Swiss skipper Oliver Heer (Tug Intestine), the Belgian Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ietieren Group), the Hungarian Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe) and the French skipper Sébastien Marsset (FOUSSIER) and Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier).

Discover out extra at www.vendeeglobe.org/en