PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES, CONQUERING THE NORTH!
AFTER THE DEEP SOUTH, SAILORS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON THE HIGH NORTH!
Having taken on the Southern Ocean during the Vendée Globe, skippers will now head towards the High North. Racing solo, non-stop and without assistance, they will leave Les Sables d’Olonne on a brand-new adventure: crossing the Arctic Circle at a point of their own choosing before returning to the famous Vendée port.
This is the major innovation of the third edition: a free-route course with no prescribed track, promising a wide range of routeing options, bold strategic choices and plenty of suspense. The fleet will venture into waters that remain largely unexplored by these exceptional sailors. Cold temperatures, fog, fast-moving low-pressure systems and short, steep seas will become part of daily life in these demanding and unpredictable high latitudes.
For the first time, skippers will reach the Arctic Circle – a challenge that matches both their commitment and their thirst for adventure. As the first major race of the 2025–2028 cycle leading to the Vendée Globe, Vendée Arctique 2026 is set to become a key event on the IMOCA calendar and a showcase for Vendée’s expertise in organising world-class offshore sailing events.
The Vendée Arctique is a demanding and unprecedented challenge, sending solo skippers across the Arctic Circle for the first time at a longitude of their own choosing. It is an open-air strategic laboratory where boldness and decision-making will make all the difference.
Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Department, the Vendée Globe and Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne
