Vendée Globe round-the-world solo sailing race begins in France

France’s iconic – and challenging – Vendée Globe sailing race began yesterday (November 10), with 40 boats competing in a non-stop round-the-world race. 

Starting from the port of Les Sables-d'Olonne the sailors make their way around the world on the famous ‘clipper route’, circumnavigating Antarctica before returning to France. 

The race is seen as one of the most intense sporting challenges and is only held once every four years.

The race takes competitors over 10 weeks to achieve with each of the 40 boats being manned by a single captain (or skipper). 

They are not allowed to set foot onshore until the end of the race (although can anchor offshore and remain on their boats), and are not allowed any outside assistance. 

Not only does this prevent anyone else from stepping foot on their vessel, it means the competitor must undertake any repairs needed and without docking. 

In the event of illness or injury they must also tend to themselves although a race doctor is allowed on board for serious incidents, with the boat stopping whilst they are being seen to. 

Finally, skippers cannot use technology to view advance weather forecasts, and must navigate the route themselves without any outside assistance. 

Briton Sam Goodchild is hoping to be the first non-French winner of the race, sailing the boat Vulnerable. 

You can read our interview with him below. 

Read more: Interview: Sailor Sam Goodchild prepares for Vendée Globe round-world solo race

Dangerous waters

The route of the competition takes sailors through extremely rough seas, despite being held in the southern hemisphere’s summer season.

They must deal with fierce waves and potentially treacherous weather patterns, following some of the most dangerous routes in the world. 

Three people have died whilst competing in the race – a Briton and American in 1992, and a Canadian in 1997. 

Improvements in sailing technology have seen the time taken to complete the race fall from 110 days in 1992/1993 to 74 days in 2016/2017.

This does not come without risks. As boats become faster the impact of waves or hitting an object can be brutal, seriously injuring competitors or causing boats to have irreparable damage. 

“Mathematical models estimate the risk of collision at one every 4,000 nautical miles,” said the race’s doctor Laure Jacolot to FranceInfo.

“Over the Vendée Globe 24,300 miles (45,000 kilometres) of theoretical distance, that's a serious risk,” she added. 

In the last race Briton Samantha Davis hit an unidentified object in her boat, throwing her inside her boat, breaking some ribs.

The impact of the crash was so severe she had to pull into a port in South Africa to repair, officially knocking her out of the competition. 

However, she completed the course, raising €800,000 for charity. 

Read more: Make sense of… boating in France

Safety measures 

Efforts are being made to increase the safety of competitors. 

A rigorous selection process eliminates all but the best sailors from competing in the event. 

Every competitor must have completed at least one trans-oceanic race before, in the boat they will use for the Vendée Globe, and undergo survival and medical courses before the event begins.

Helmets are now required for sailors, and additional technology on the boat – infrared cameras and ‘pingers’ – help identify aquatic animals in the waves and cause them to retreat from the boat’s path. 

Some pathways near the race’s route are off-limits due to the increased presence of wildlife, with others being traversed with ‘extreme vigilance’. 

All competing vessels also have a hazard button attached, linked to a central database managed by race operators, warning of dangers or incidents during the boat’s voyage.