ABW Dec 2020-1

when there were 30 starters, has the field been so large.
This time, it includes no fewer than 10 non-French skippers
and there will be a record number of six female skippers. The
standard of the competitors is particularly outstanding.
Of the 33, more than half are 18 ‘bizuths’ or rookies, sailors
out to take on the Vendée Globe for the first time. All have
already amassed a wide range of appropriate experience and
success in other events and other types
of sailing. Among these rookies are;
France’s multiple Paralympic sailing
champion Damien Seguin (APICIL); a
round the world speed record holder
and a winner of the Volvo Ocean
Race, Kévin Escoffier (PRB); several
winners of the famous French solo
multi stage race, the annual Solitaire
du Figaro, Nicolas Troussel (CORUM
L’EPARGNE); and Sébastien Simon (ARKEA-PAPREC), as
well as recent winners of the Transat Jacques Vabre race,
Charlie Dalin (APIVIA); and the Route du Rhum race , Armel
Tripon (L’OCCITANE EN PROVENCE).
The international appeal of the Vendée Globe has continued
to grow over the recent years. This year, there are 10
sailors from outside of France, almost a third of the fleet,
representing Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Spain,
Italy, Finland, Australia and Japan. Alex Thomson of Hugo
Boss is one of the international skippers who is among the
pre-race favourites. Only one other sailor in the fleet has had
just as many Vendée Globe races under his belt as Alex and
that is Jean Le Cam (YES WE CAM!), the oldest participant
in the event at 61 years old.
88
Participants in the
Vendée Globe do
not need to win to
become legends, in
some cases, all they
need to do is start.
Jean-Louis Carli - Alea Pip Hare - Medallia
All yachts participating in the race are within the Open
60 class set by the International Monohull Open Class
Association (IMOCA) and the class is called the IMOCA 60.
Founded at around the same time the Vendée Globe was
founded, IMOCA was primarily organized to set the class
regulations for yachts doing long distance single handed and
double handed ocean racing. Open classes are unrestricted
in certain aspects, but a box rule governs parameters such
as overall length, draught, appendages
and stability, as well as numerous other
safety features. Other than the Vendée,
other races under IMOCA’s jurisdiction
are the Rolex Fastnet Race, Transat
Jacques Vabre, Barcelona World Race,
and the Route du Rhum.
Being an open class spanning almost 30
years several boats have participated in
the Vendée Globe several times, and on each edition updated
with technology to improve its safety and performance.
Canting keels and dual rudders are standard, while newer
boats have “outriggers” that double as spreaders for the side
stays and have tracks for the head sails, as well as hydrofoils.
The use of hydrofoils made its debut in the IMOCA 60 class
during the 2016-17 edition of the Vendée Globe, this new
innovation was closely watched to evaluate the durability of
foils in such circumstances. The top finishers had hydrofoils,
Frenchman Armel Le Cléac’h finished first, beating Alex
Thomson by 16 hours, despite Alex’s Hugo Boss boat
finishing with only one working hydrofoil. In the 2020-2021
Vendée Globe, the newer boats as well as the older but
upgraded boats have hydrofoils 3 times bigger than those in
the previous edition, allowing the boats to sail in a medium
between the surface and the sky, making aerodynamics a
key component of the boat’s design. The fleet is composed
of 19 foilers and 14 non-foilers.
The oldest boat in the fleet, a non foiler was launched in March
1998 has participated in four editions of the Vendée Globe she
is currently skippered by Alexia Barrier (TSE - 4MYPLANET)
a woman who has no shortage of tenacity and passion for
ocean racing and the protection of the ocean. When she
set out to establish her Vendée Globe 2020 project, one of
her greatest assets was her sheer determination. This young
woman gathered a group of companies, institutions and
patrons around her project in order to acquire Le Pingouin —
the IMOCA sailed by Catherine Chabaud on the 2000 Vendée
Globe in February 2018. Since then, Alexia hasn’t missed
an opportunity to move closer to achieving her objectives.
Participants in the Vendée Globe do not need to win to
become legends, in some cases, all they need to do is start.
Among the new IMOCA 60’s Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss
launched in August 2019 is probably the most radical,
she is characterised by her innovative look: fully enclosed
cockpit, visibility of the outside space being largely provided
by cameras. Much of the on-board energy requirements
are supplied by solar panels integral to the deck. The foils
are also unique with their circular forms. Hugo Boss has