Sam Goodchild
Sam Goodchild
MACIF Santé Prévoyance
Complete tracker
1st position
22.23
kts
41.17 km/h
Speed
N
E
S
W
186 °
Heading
See details

Ranking

01
Sam Goodchild

Sam Goodchild

MACIF Santé Prévoyance
  • Speed 22.23 kts
  • 24h average speed 11.01 kts
  • Distance to finish 246.99 nm
  • Distance to leader 0 nm
02
Ambrogio Beccaria

Ambrogio Beccaria

ALLAGRANDE MAPEI
  • Speed 14.86 kts
  • 24h average speed 11.13 kts
  • Distance to finish 373.37 nm
  • Distance to leader 126.37 nm
03
violette-dorange

Violette Dorange

Initiatives-Cœur
  • Speed 17.74 kts
  • 24h average speed 13.42 kts
  • Distance to finish 386.41 nm
  • Distance to leader 139.42 nm
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Headlines

Francesca Clapcich - 11th Hour Racing

"A Light-Wind Trap Could Put Everything Back in Play"

SAILORS’ VOICES. The entire fleet is now on the homeward leg. During the night, Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce) crossed the Arctic Circle in turn, symbolically closing the chapter of the High North. But while all bows are now pointed towards Les Sables d’Olonne, the competitors’ trajectories have never…
0

ZERO......the number of certainties about the arrival time. Less than 500 nautical miles from Les Sables d’Olonne, the forecasts have rarely seemed so unpedictable. The problem is the light-wind zone forecast in the Bay of Biscay, capable of pushing ETA - estimated arrival times - back hour after hour.

Atmosphere aboard the Imoca 11TH Hour Racing, skippered by Francesca Clapcich during the Vendée Arctique 2026 - at sea on 08/06/2026

The end of the course looks uncertain

As Manu Cousin (Coup de Pouce) crossed the Arctic Circle in turn during the night, at around 01:00, symbolically completing the fleet’s collective transition onto the return leg, the leading boats have never appeared more divided in their courses. Nor has the finish line ever seemed so difficult to…
À bord d'11th Hour Racing.

Some truly mad skippers!

Despite the harsh conditions, the intensity of the race and the relentless demands, the sailors in the Vendée Arctique haven’t lost their sense of humour. Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) and Arnaud Boissières (April Marine – seeking co-sponsor) have demonstrated this over the last few hours,…
Atmosphere aboard the Imoca April Marine - Recherche Co-Partenaire, skippered by Arnaud Boissières during the Vendée Arctique 2026 - at sea on 08/06/2026

“You Have to Fully Commit to the Opportunities That Present Themselves”

SAILORS’ VOICES The landscapes of the High North are gradually disappearing in the wake of the IMOCA fleet. After brushing the Arctic Circle and the high latitudes, the competitors are slowly returning to more familiar waters, though the pressure remains as intense as ever. Between the impressive…
À l'arrivée de Charlie Dalin du Vendée Globe.

For Charlie

Since the announcement of Charlie Dalin’s passing, an immense wave of emotion has swept through the sailing world. Winner of the 2024 Vendée Globe, an exceptional sailor and competitor, he had also earned the admiration, respect and affection of everyone who crossed his path. As the Vendée Arctique…
20

As in the 20 kilometers separating the two shores of the Strait of Moyle, the gateway to the North Channel. A stretch of water steeped in history, legend... and now a key strategic battleground for the skippers competing in the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne.

MACIF Santé Prévoyance

When the Fastest Route Isn’t Always the One You Choose

The High North is gradually fading into the fleet’s wake. Following Nicolas d'Estais (Café Joyeux) yesterday in the early afternoon and Arnaud Boissières (APRIL Marine) shortly before 20:00, seven of the eight competitors still racing have now crossed the Arctic Circle. Only Manu Cousin (Coup de…
Institut polaire français

Scientific Research Currently Being Conducted in the Arctic

As the Arctic Circle draws closer, attention is not focused solely on the sailors. Across the High North, on land, in the atmosphere and at the heart of its ecosystems, scientists are carrying out vital missions to better understand the profound changes reshaping the Arctic. Climate, biodiversity…
À bord de MACIF Santé Prévoyance.

There’s magic in the air at the Arctic Circle

They’ve done it! For the first time, IMOCA skippers have reached the Arctic Circle during a race. Sam Goodchild, Elodie Bonafous, Violette Dorange and Ambrogio Beccaria crossed it yesterday, Francesca Clapcich during the night, whilst Nico d’Estais and Arnaud Boissières are set to cross it this…

“It’s both beautiful and strange to be this far north. Your body feels a bit disoriented because there’s no night. Everything’s white and grey, and above all it’s very cold—I was shivering a lot. And the landscape is absolutely lunar!”

Atmosphere offshore Feroe Islands aboard the Imoca 11TH Hour Racing, skippered by Francesca Clapcich during the Vendée Arctique 2026 - at sea on 10/06/2026

On the up heading south

Life is feeling so much better for the leaders on the Vendée Arctique Les Sables d’Olonne race this morning, not least because they are heading south, heading home. Leader Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) has built a useful buffer, a cushion of around 100 nautical miles over second placed…
Affiche Vendée Arctique 2026

The race

The major new feature of this year's race is that the course is no longer mapped out. Leaving Les Sables d'Olonne, the skippers will have to cross the Arctic Circle at the longitude of their choice, before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne. This freedom will give the sailors plenty of strategic options, making for an extremely open game. A committed race that redefines the rules!
In a Vendée Globe, in the Deep South, the skippers sail from West to East, following the route of the lows. This enables them to anticipate the trajectories by positioning themselves more or less close to the low-pressure centres. The latest generation of IMOCA boats are now able to sail as fast as the lows around the world. On the other hand, in the Vendée Arctique, the sailors pass through the weather systems, which makes the task much harder: anticipation is more complex, the phenomena change, and there are few escape routes... Not to mention the cold and the solitude!

To manage this high-latitude sailing, the skippers will have to deal with an ice exclusion zone along Greenland and respect the biodiversity protection zones.

The rules of the game are simple, but the adventure promises to be demanding.

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