We all know how French solo skippers get so darn good. They move from youth sailing to Mini Transat and Figaro classes, where they drill for years. Then the lucky…
IMOCA 60: Everything you need to know about the Vendée Globe boats
Extraordinary boats: the new radical PRB IMOCA 60
As if the new PRB IMOCA 60 were not eye-catching enough, the story behind it is truly remarkable. The reason Kevin Escoffier needed a new IMOCA in a hurry is…
Vendée Arctique: whole fleet forced to stop, will not restart
The second edition of the Vendée Arctique has been brought to a stop by race organisers halfway through the course as a dangerous low pressure system has been deemed too…
Everything you need to know about the Vendée Arctique
The Vendée Arctique-Les Sables d’Olonne race is set to begin this weekend, Sunday 12 June 2022 and will see 25 solo skippers competing on their IMOCA 60s. The race may…
Extraordinary Boats: the new 11th Hour Racing IMOCA 60
For decades the whole point of designing an IMOCA 60 has been to win the Vendée Globe solo round the world race. However, the adoption of the class by The…
Alex Thomson stands down as Vendée Globe skipper
British sailor Alex Thomson has announced he won’t compete as a skipper in the 2024 Vendée Globe, the solo, non-stop race around-the-world, but doesn’t rule out returning to the race…
The rise and rise of double-handed racing
If ever the stars aligned to see a sport’s popularity grow exponentially, they did so for the recent story of double-handed racing offshore. Societal changes, a brief hint of a…
Jean Le Cam: Vendée Globe legend they call ‘The King’
He’s the solo skipper who might remind you of Keith Richards. A rugged, hawkish face topped off with an unruly mop of black curly hair, Jean Le Cam was the…
Vendée Globe 2020 preview: Next generation foilers will sail on the limit
The world of single-handed offshore racing is a uniquely rarefied one. It’s an oft-quoted statistic that more people have been into space than sailed around the planet non-stop, but solo…
Rolex Fastnet Race delivers wet, fast ride for early finishers
The first finishers in the IRC fleets of the Rolex Fastnet Race arriving last night and today have all had a hard, fast race. As crews piled in tired, wet,…
Ultimes lead the charge for 388-boat fleet in Rolex Fastnet Race start
A total entry of 388 yachts – another record turnout – started in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race today, Saturday 3 August from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The…
Fastnet Race 2019: Bumper IMOCA 60 fleet set to assemble in Cowes
One of the largest – and most intriguing – fleets of IMOCA 60s ever gathered is due to set off from Cowes for this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race (August 3).…
Charal: On board the radical IMOCA 60 that takes foiling to the next level
In St Malo for the start of the Route du Rhum in early November, every inch of the IMOCA 60 pontoons was packed with fans trying to get a close…
Alex Thomson profile: Understanding the man behind the suit
Everyone knows Alex Thomson. He’s not only one of the most immediately recognisable IMOCA 60 skippers, but one of the few sailors who have managed to transcend the sport and…
Record fleet sets off for 40th Route du Rhum, with 40-knot conditions forecast
Along a three-mile start line off St Malo, 123 boats set off on the 40th Route du Rhum singlehanded transatlantic race to Guadaloupe this afternoon. For most of the skippers, setting…
Volvo Ocean Race confirm next race will be held in IMOCA 60s – but opinions are divided among crews
After months of speculation – Yachting World broke the story than the IMOCA 60 class were in the final stages of negotiation with the Volvo Ocean Race back in April…
Solo skipper airlifted near Azores with fractured hip, keel problems plague others
French solo sailor Paul Meilhat has been stretchered off his IMOCA 60 yacht SMA and airlifted to hospital on the island of Terceira in the Azores after suffering a fractured…
Video: Dramatic aerial footage and pictures of the new Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild
These spectacular images and aerial footage of the new Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild have emerged after the boat took to the water for a test sail in Brittany. Launched on…