How to participate ?

From one edition to the next, the success of the Vendée Globe is growing.

In 2020, 33 competitors took the start of this unique round-the-world race. There have never been so many of them! In response to the growing enthusiasm of the sailors, the number of participants has been increased to 40 skippers for the 10th edition in 2024.
In view of the event's success, the organisers have tightened the conditions to be met in order to take part. If the number of candidates meeting these requirements exceeds the quota, a selection system has been established.

1 -Qualifications, a guarantee of safety

To take part in the Vendée Globe, the skipper and boat pairing must qualify. This enables the sailor's skills and the reliability of his project, but this also guarantees that the boats are sufficiently tested to complete a round the world race.

The conditions for qualifying

Each skipper must be at the start of at least two qualifying races on their IMOCA (one in 2022 or 2023 and one in 2024). He must finish at least one of them and his race time must not be more than one and a half times longer than the winner's time.

Derogation: In the event of major damage during the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 making it impossible to take part in the race (Retour à la base), the organisers may grant a derogation and accept that the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 counts as a qualifying race, even though it is a double-handed race.

2 -Selection

To define the 40 competitors who will be lining up at the start of the next Vendée Globe - from among the IMOCA/skipper pairs meeting the qualification requirements, a selection will be made based on the number of miles sailed by the skipper single-handed, double-handed and crewed since the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021. .
Unlike qualification, the miles are counted by the skipper, regardless of which IMOCA he is sailing. If a skipper has to abandon a race, the miles he sailed before he did so are counted.

• The exception for new boats: the first 13 pairs - new IMOCA/ skipper - to take the start of a qualifying race will be automatically selected. Provided they qualify, they are guaranteed to be at the start.
• The exception of the wild card: another qualified skipper will be automatically selected, who will benefit from the wild card (invitation).