But it has been crossing the oceans of world at the end of an engaging battle at all levels, where most records have been set. Particularly impressive are the records of undisputed winner, Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), who set a best ever elapsed time at 64 days, Justine Mettraux (Teamwork – Team Snef) who achieved the best ever female time (76 days) or Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) who became the first ever Chinese to complete the race in so doing also becoming the 100th skipper to have finished at least one Vendée Globe. And then there was Violette Dorange (Devenir), the youngest ever skipper to finish the event, generating massive popular support.
Four years after an edition that took place almost behind closed doors due to health restrictions, the 10th Vendée Globe was transformed into an engaging popular festival with a broader appeal than ever before. From the opening of the race village over the subsequent three weeks hundreds of thousands of people of all ages took to the pontoons in Les Sables d’Olonne, tried to catch a glimpse of the skippers and even exchanged Panini stickers from the dedicated album. It was a great time for the wider, general public to muster, to learn and share their enthusiasm with the skppers, the teams and the race partners creating a real sustained wave of enthusiasm for the Vendée Globe.
A multi level race from start to finish
The atmosphere reached fever pitch on November 10, the date of the start. After the emotional farewells on the pontoons and the last hugs with loved ones, each skipper enjoyed the magical atmosphere of the channel and an incredible send off before setting sail. The weather, sunny with gentle winds allowed them to gradually get into race mode before winds and speeds built. The record for distance covered solo on a monohull in 24 hours was beaten several times successively by Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB), Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKEA) finally by Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) at a new mark of 615 nautical miles.
In the Atlantic, Maxime Sorel (V and B Monbana Mayenne) retired into Madeira with an injured ankle, Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) and Szabolcs Weores (New Europe) a little later in Cape Town. Propelled by a depression down the South Atlantic, four skippers (Charlie Dalin, Thomas Ruyant, Yoann Richomme, Sébastien Simon) were set into an intense battle at the head of the race all the way to the entrance to the Indian Ocean. Then, a big depression at the Kerguelen Islands shuffled the hierarchy. Dalin (Macif Santé Prévoyance) and Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) decided to stay with the front, Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA), Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) and Jérémie Beyou (Charal) chose to go further north to look after their boats. The leading duo resisted and took advantage of the situation to significantly widen the gap. Sebastien Simon’s race was compromised after he broke his starboard foil on December 8th a damage which he largely dealt with mentally but he will likely always wonder ‘what if?’
Richomme returns, Dalin wins
Under Tasmania, Yoann Richomme managed to catch up with Simon and Dalin. It was Richomme skipper of PAPREC ARKEA who took the lead at Cape Horn holding a slender 9-minute lead over Dalin. This duel at the head of the race was particularly thrilling. Off the coast of Brazil, the MACIF Santé Prévoyance skipper took a lead which he holds all the way to the finish First on the line but second in 2021, Charlie secures an unforgettable victory, arriving off Les Sables d'Olonne to a stunning, memorable sunrise. He smashed the previous record by more than 9 days (64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes). Dalin finishes ahead of long time rival lYoann Richomme, an incredible rookie (2nd) and the Les Sables d’Olonne home town hero Sébastien Simon (3rd) who had set up his project less than two years earlier.
The first three are more than nine days ahead of their pursuers. Led by Jérémie Beyou (4th) the skippers behind were unlucky to drop out of the same weather systems as the top trio. Defending Vendée Globe champion Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V) had to retire into Ushuaia with worsening rudder problems which he had suffered since the Atlantic. Eric Bellion (STAND AS ONE-Altavia) retired into the Falklands with a rudder issue and J2 forestay problem. Both completed their solo circumnavigations after repairs.
Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (Teamwork – Team Snef, 8th) set the women’s record for the event (76 days and 1 hour) and was the first non-French skipper to finish. Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur Duo for a Job, 16th) finished first of the clutch of straight-daggerboard, non foiling boats and Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou, 30th) is the first Chinese and the 100th finisher in the history of the Vendée Globe. Each arrival was greeted by thousands of supporters whatever the time of day and the vagaries of the weather.
Special mention to Violette Dorange (Devenir), the youngest of the Vendée Globe who generated a strong following on social media as hundreds of thousands of Internet users shared her story, a big number of whom came to her finish in the middle of a rainy but happy Sunday. Dorange intense joy and that of all the finishers will stay n our memory banks for a long time, as we impatiently await the next edition in 2028.
