Vendée Globe Challenge

   the most high-profile of yacht-races organised in France, the Vendée Globe is a single-handed non-stop round-the-world yacht race, that takes place every four years. Participants set off from, and return to, the small port of Les Sables d'Olonne, in the Vendée, on France's Atlantic coast. The race is open to monohull yachts up to 60 ft. in length ("Open 60" class). French yachts make up the majority of participants in the race, and the Vendée Globe has always been won by a French yacht; however in 2001 24-year-old British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur caused a sensation when she came in second, having diverted at one point to go to the assistance of another yacht that was in difficulty. The race starts in November, and yachts that complete the gruelling round-the-world journey arrive back in Les Sables d'Olonne in January or February. Thanks to continually progressing boat technology, the winning times have fallen dramatically since the race was first held in 1989-90. Titouan Lamazou, winner of the first Vendée Globe, completed the voyage in 109 days; Vincent Riou, winner in 2004-5, finished in 87 days; indeed, the first 8 competitors in the 2004-05 Vendee Globe beat Lamazou's winning time of 1990. Competitors in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe set off from Les Sables d'Olonne on 9th November, straight into heavy seas in the Bay of Biscay.