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LIVE: Watch the finish live!
The suspense is at its peak and you won’t miss a thing! To find out how the third edition of Vendée Arctique unfolds, our teams are bringing you live video coverage, both at sea and on land. Follow the leaders’ final miles, the line crossings, the initial reactions and our consultants’ analysis!
As in the 6 knots recorded this morning by Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), while his closest rivals continue to post double-digit speeds. In the Bay of Biscay, the light-air patch has chosen its side: the side of suspense.
“Can’t Wait to See How This All Ends”
SAILORS’ VOICES. Les Sables d’Olonne is drawing closer, but nobody yet seems capable of saying exactly how this Vendée Arctique will end. Just hours from the finish, the vast light-wind zone established in the Bay of Biscay continues to fuel uncertainty. Behind Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance…
Final Miles, Final Questions
The first IMOCA yachts are expected to reach Les Sables d’Olonne this Monday evening. But while the finish line is drawing closer, the answers are not. Sam Goodchild (MACIF Santé Prévoyance), dominant since the start, long appeared to be sailing towards an untroubled victory. Then the Bay of Biscay…
Élodie Bonafous has been handed a 12-hour penalty
The final stretch in five questions
A leader who could falter, a mass finish, arrival times that keep getting pushed back… This final stretch promises to be nail-biting right to the very end. We sit down with Christian Dumard, the race’s meteorologist, and the race organisers to analyse what lies ahead for the skippers as they head…
Not too many surprises so far
French based British skipper Alan Roberts has had a unique viewpoint on this Vendée Arctique Les Sables d’Olonne race to the Arctic Circle and back. A nine times competitor on La Solitaire du Figaro, Roberts was most recently co-skipper on Clarisse Crémer’s L’Occitaine en Provence programme. He…
"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…
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.
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…
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,…
“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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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!”
