With just days to the start of the Vendée Globe 2024, records are already being broken. A record 40 skippers from 11 countries will be on the start-line on 10th November in Les Sables d’Olonne, including 6 women. After the dramatic results of the 2020 race, we can expect the 10th edition to be full of surprises and action.
A huge following
In just the first week, the Vendée Globe village recorded exceptional attendances. To date 360,000 visitors have enjoyed the Race Village experience, up by 20% from 2016.
Alain Leboeuf, president of the Vendée Globe and the Vendée Department comments: “After eight years of waiting, the public’s enthusiasm for the race is obvious, and we have had to increase our resources to meet this massive influx.”
In 2016, the village attracted a total of 1.15 million visitors over the entire start period. The figures for the first week of this edition suggest a new record will be made.
TV coverage for the start is set to be broadcast by almost 50% more broadcasters. The live start of the Vendée Globe 2024 will be broadcast by 60 broadcasters (compared to 41 during the previous edition). Among them are 19 French broadcasters (13 in 2020) and 41 international broadcasters (28 in 2020).
Watch the start live on YouTube, Facebook and the website.
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- Photo by @AnneBeauge / Alea
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- Photo by @VincentCurutchet / Alea
Online growth
Web traffic to the Vendee Globe website is on the rise too. Since the opening of the Race Village, there has been a 24% increase in the number of visits to the website compared to the same period in 2020.
The official Virtual Regatta game is already showing a nearly 20% increase in registrations than at the same stage in 2020.
An international showcase
A record fourty skippers will be at the start of this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe. The broad, international diversity of the skippers brings a unique richness to the race. A new record of 11 nationalities will be represented this year (compared to nine in 2020) showing that the Vendée Globe 2024 will reach a new level of international exposure.
Some stand-outs to watch
All 40 skippers have a story – each with their own goals and perhaps a history in this race.
Winner of the 2020 edition – Yannick Bestaven – “I tell myself that I have a 1% chance of winning it again.”
“I want to be able to put the foot on the gas and be more confident this time.” Clarisse Crémer – the fastest woman to sail non-stop around the world in the Vendée Globe 2020.
Violette Dorange – the youngest competitor – “I have always told myself that the Vendee Globe was for me”.
Jingkun Xu – first Chinese entrant and first handicapped sailor to compete in the Vendée Globe. “Every time we go to sea it is a life lesson.”
Women competitors have their say
The IMOCA is a tough boat to race – no matter who you are. But even so this edition of the Vendée Globe sees many more women competing on these extreme boats.
Watch The Path to Progress and see just how much progress women have made in this fleet.
