Conrad Colman also crosses the start line

Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) has taken the lead in the Vendée Globe solo race around the world as the leaders of the 40 boat fleet descend south down the Iberian peninsula. Passing the length of Portugal today, Goodchild -pursued by French ace Charlie Dalin – who is 22 nautical miles behind…

For more than half of the Vendée Globe fleet Cape Finisterre is now behind them and with it the first big weather test of their solo round the world race . Leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé et Prévoyance) passed the Cape around 1845hrs UTC last night, inside the TSS, and early this morning is…

Pre-race favourite Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prevoyance) is living up to his billing as he leads the 40 boat Vendée Globe fleet towards the first big test of the skippers and their craft this evening and tonight as the racers on the solo non stop race round the world set up to negotiate the…

Through the first night of the Vendée Globe the record sized fleet has been carefully gybing downwind, trying to take advantage of the shifts in wind direction as they work to the SW in a NE’ly wind which has risen and fallen.

The record sized fleet of 40 solo sailors enjoyed a gentle opening to the Vendée Globe this afternoon off Les Sables d’Olonne on the French Atlantic coast, crossing the start line of the mythical solo non-stop race around the world at 1302hrs (local time/1202hrs UTC) in a very modest 5-6kts of…

The official start of the Vendée Globe took place today at 13:02. The skippers have now set off on the most famous and challenging of circumnavigations, with more than 24,000 nautical miles (45,000 km) to cover solo, non-stop, and without assistance. Only one boat, Conrad Colman (MS Amlin), was not…

There could not be a starker contrast for the Vendée Globe skippers between the intense festivities around their departure from Les Sables d’Olonne and the prospect of spending the next three months alone at sea.