Forever pioneers: the Vendée Arctique sets course for the Arctic Circle

Key facts about Vendée Arctique 2026

• Edition: 3rd edition – #VA2026
• Start / Finish : Les Sables-d'Olonne
• Fleet : 9 solo IMOCA skippers
• Goal: Cross the Arctic Circle (minimum latitude 66°N) at the longitude of your choice.
• Format : Completely open course — no imposed route
• Race Director : Mathias Louarn
• Meteorologist : Christian Dumard
• Previous edition: : 2nd edition in 2022

A revolutionary format: free routing as the only rule

Four years ago, the second edition of the Vendée Arctique (2022) took place while extreme heat was being recorded across mainland France. The sailors crossed the finish line near Iceland after a wild race marked by epic conditions. This year once again, competitors will set off in summer conditions. But the comparison between the two editions stops there.

The nine competitors on the start line will not have a predefined course as in other races.
After leaving Les Sables d’Olonne, they will head north towards the Arctic Circle, which they may cross at the latitude of their choice before sailing back south towards the Vendée port.

Used to crossing the Atlantic every year and racing through the Southern Ocean every four years, IMOCA skippers rarely sail this far north. Aside from the last Vendée Arctique in 2022, the opening leg of The Ocean Race Europe was the northernmost race, with the fleet rounding Denmark from Kiel.

Arnaud Boissières April Marine – seeking a co-partner) found the perfect formula to capture the scale of the challenge :

« We are going further north (66° North) than Cape Horn is south. »

— Arnaud Boissières

« Exciting, extreme, original and improbable » : skippers face the unknown

There is unanimous agreement among the skippers competing in the Vendée Arctique 2026 :

« It’s exciting, extreme, original and improbable and it forces us to innovate and improvise.
It’s adventure with a capital A, we’re going to sail in remote regions where we never go. »

— Arnaud Boissières (April Marine) and Nico d'Estais (Café Joyeux)

« I can’t wait to experience the long days, see the sun all day long and cross the Arctic Circle. »

— Sam Goodchild (Macif Santé Prévoyance)

« It’s an innovative format that will allow us to develop different strategies and tactics. »

— Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing)

Strategy and tactics: Iceland to the east or to the west?

“The course is unprecedented both in format and shape,” summarises Race Director Mathias Louarn. After the start from Les Sables d’Olonne, the skippers will leave Ireland to starboard before entering “free routing”.

« There will be quite a few options », explains Corentin Horeau (MACSF). 

Two major strategies stand out for rounding Iceland:

• The eastern route: shorter in distance.
• The western route: longer, but weather conditions could change everything.

For Christian Dumard, the race meteorologist, it is « only once they reach Fastnet Rock that they will have a clear enough picture of what lies ahead to commit to a strategy ».

Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei) sums up the challenge :

« There will be opportunities both outbound and on the return. We’ll need to position ourselves correctly in areas we know very little about. There will certainly be small gains to make, but we must not forget to keep things simple. »

— Ambrogio Beccaria

Arctic weather: cold, low-pressure systems and endless manoeuvres

Skippers will have to deal with two specific characteristics of high latitudes.
First, air density : « Cold air is denser, so it creates more pressure in the sails », recalls Christian Dumard. Skippers who have experienced the harshness of the Southern Ocean during the Vendée Globe will have valuable experience to rely on.

Secondly, the entire fleet will have to face the trains of low-pressure systems arriving from North America and moving towards Iceland. « These are fast-moving systems that skippers could encounter both outbound and on the return leg. »

« Unlike the Vendée Globe where they can experience stable and identical conditions for several days, here there will be many transitions and therefore many manoeuvres. »

— Christian Dumard, meteorologist of Vendée Arctique 2026

Skippers could quickly find themselves sailing in completely different weather systems, which will inevitably impact the gaps between boats. « It’s very difficult to make predictions or have a precise idea of how the fleet will behave », admits Mathias Louarn.

Management, endurance and sleep: the keys to victory

Because of its unique nature and numerous unknowns, the Vendée Arctique 2026 is expected to keep suspense alive for a long time. The fact that the course is open will also make the race positions difficult to interpret until the fleet converges towards the finish. A high-pressure system at the end of the race could even compress the fleet if there is « a strong anticyclonic situation with very little wind », points out Christian Dumard.

« It will be a long race where managing pace, physical effort and sleep will be crucial. »

— Elodie Bonafous (Association Petits Princes – Quéguiner)

« A long sprint where mistakes must be avoided. »

— Sam Goodchild (Macif Santé Prévoyance)

« What’s fantastic about this race is that it doesn’t feel like a race. »

— Nico d'Estais (Café Joyeux)

And all of them are relishing the prospect of taking part in this unprecedented challenge, certain they are about to experience — and share — extraordinary emotions. 

Follow all the latest news from Vendée Arctique 2026 and discover the full profiles of every participant on theskippers page.