Our partners

From the moment it began, the Vendée Globe race has belonged to the hearts of our French département. Along with the Conseil Départemental de la Vendée, the town of Les Sables d’Olonne, the company SODEBO and the Région des Pays de la Loire, some thirty large companies from the Vendée department have come on board, making the Vendée the organiser of one of the greatest races in the world.

Twenty years ago, the company Sodebo entered the Vendée Globe, this legendary race, as a shipowner alongside Thomas Coville. Then, in 2004, Sodebo became an official sponsor of the race. Each edition is unique and reflects the remarkable evolution of the world of ocean racing, which has never ceased to progress. A quick look at how the boats have developed is enough to see that a new era begins with each race — yet there is still room for everyone. What remains constant are the stories of the men and women who commit themselves to an adventure that will inevitably transform them.

Here, it's Les Sables d'Olonne. The City of the Vendée Globe. The home port of the solo round-the-world race. Its mythical channel carries within it the ultimate dreams of great sailors and seekers of distant horizons. Here is where Adventure is born, the legend of the Vendée Globe. From Titouan Lamazou to Yannick Bestaven, passing through Michel Desjoyaux, many have walked our sandy docks and met the admiring gaze of thousands of enthusiasts. From the Golden Globe Race to the Mini Transat, through the Vendée Globe, the great adventure of offshore racing is written in Les Sables d'Olonne.

Ulysse Nardin is the independent and integrated watchmaking manufacture offering cutting-edge timepieces to freedom-seeking explorers. Founded by Mr. Ulysse Nardin in 1846, the house owes its reputation to its connection with the sea: its onboard chronometers are among the most awarded and reliable ever designed.