It’s the longest racecourse in sport – 24,296 miles around the planet, singlehanded, non-stop. Here’s how to follow the 33 skippers in this year’s Vendée Globe
A record fleet of 33 skippers started the Vendée Globe on Sunday, 8 November at 1302 local time (1202 GMT) and three of them have already seen their race ended prematurely.
The 2020 race was radically different to all previous editions. Traditionally hundreds of thousands of fans line the docks, canal and beaches of the start port Les Sables d’Olonne to wave off the competitors. In the last race over 2.5 million visitors toured the race village or watched the departure and arrivals.
This year, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, all the skippers had to quarantine with their immediate team since November 1. The race village was closed and no crowds were allowed to gather to see the fleet leave, but you can track the fleet’s every move from the comfort of your home. Here’s how to follow the 2020 Vendée Globe:
FOLLOW
You can track the Vendée Globe fleet with a dedicated race tracker at vendeeglobe.org, where you’ll also find position data and key statistics, weather forecasts, and latest updates.
A daily live television show will be held in English every day from 1330hrs CET, with satellite link-up interviews with the skippers taking part in the race, shown online every day.
Follow at:
TAKE PART
The Virtual Regatta version of the Vendée Globe is one of the biggest e-sailing events. In the last race in 2016, 450,000 players attempted the Vendée Globe virtual course, and even if you missed the start, you can join at any time.
Enter for free at: virtualregatta.com
FIND OUT MORE
Get the inside story on the leading competitors in the Vendée Globe fleet at yachtingworld.com
Our dedicated event page includes interviews with some of the key Vendée Globe contenders, an in-depth look at some of the technology behind these latest generation foilers, and amazing insight into what it takes to become a Vendée Globe competitor from Pip Hare.
Also don’t miss all the exclusive videos on the Yachting World YouTube channel, which includes Pip Hare and Paul Larsen’s complete dockwalk tour of all 33 IMOCAs, an onboard tour of race favourite Charal, Pip Hare’s tour of her boat Medallia, and an onboard interview with Sam Davies.