Justine Mettraux, 8th, first international, first woman

Following a good start, Justine Mettraux attacks flat out, entering the Top 10 on the first night of racing.

After a passage to the west of the traffic separation scheme off Cape Finisterre, the Swiss skipper continues to hang on to the leading pack, and even reaches third position in the rankings.

Justine enters the Doldrums in seventh place under torrents of rain. She progresses towards the equator, which she reaches on November 22.

First scare aboard Teamwork-TEAM SNEF, with the loss of her J0 that had been weakened by a tear three days earlier. This time, the sail is unusable, but the navigator manages to bring all 180 square metres back on board.

Justine rounds the Cape of Good Hope, neck and neck with Clarisse Crémer and Boris Herrmann, who she has not left since the middle of the South Atlantic.

Justine takes 10th place from Samantha Davies, in particularly challenging conditions for her first steps in the Indian Ocean. She has now surpassed her personal record for time spent solo on a boat!

Justine has reached Cape Leeuwin, still battling closely with Boris Herrmann.

After passing Tasmania, Justine Mettraux puts her foot on the accelerator to stay in contact with the leading group, which is escaping with an advancing low pressure system. She catches up with the more advantageous weather system at the last minute, leaving Samantha Davies and Clarisse Crémer in her wake.

In these rough Pacific conditions, Justine lost her two masthead aerials and installed a replacement on deck.

The navigator passes Point Nemo still in 11th position at a quick pace. For Christmas, Paul Meilhat appears on her AIS radar!

Justine crosses Cape Horn with emotion, even if the conditions do not allow her to pass close to the rock. After Yannick Bestaven’s boat sustains damage she rises to 10th place.

New Year's Eve off the Falkland, then a complex ascent of the south Atlantic, with an initial depression, calm and then a significant band of thunder storms…

Finally launched into the trade winds, Justine discovers her engine (used for charging batteries) is no longer working. After changing the starter motor, it fails again off the coast of Brazil.

A second equator crossing and despite countless big patches of sargassum seaweed, Justine is making up ground on her opponents.

Alters course to the east ahead of the big depression at the end of the course, then overtakes Boris Herrmann and Thomas Ruyant, both weakened by problems with foils and headsails. At the Azores, the Vendée Globe first timer and first woman is now 8th in the rankings.

The fight rages along the Portuguese coast with Thomas Ruyant and Sam Goodchild, progressing towards Cape Finisterre.

Justine crosses the finish line of her first Vendée Globe in 8th position, after 76 days at sea. The 38-year-old skipper also breaks Clarisse Crémer’s record as the fastest woman to sail round the world solo.