Saturday, November 10, 2012

Vendée Globe - Around the World Race

Savéol at the start

What do you get excited about? For me, I become fired up when I think about what is probably the toughest challenge for any man or woman, and that’s participating in and finishing the Vendée Globe race. This is a non-stop 27,000 miles yachting marathon around the world which kicks off from Sables d'Olonne and finishes there after a gruelling 80 to 90 days or thereabouts for the winner.  

The event takes place every four years, and this year’s race started this morning. Follow the action by clicking the Vendée Globe link below, or by downloading the official iPhone app. I shall have my eye upon UK competitors, hoping that one or more of them will take line honours. I particularly want Mike Golding who is skippering Gamesa to win, since he has tried so hard, having participated in three previous Vendée Globe races. Alex Thomson racing Hugo Boss, is my next UK favourite, followed by the very plucky Samantha Davies aboard Savéol. France, by having twelve skippers dominates the fleet. There are two from Switzerland, one from Poland, and one from Majorca.

The Open 60 class yacht skippered by Javier Sansó, the Majorcan aboard ‘Acciona’, is perhaps the most innovative, because the yacht is the only one not reliant upon fossil fuels for powering electronic systems. Energy is derived from 14 solar panels and from 2 wind turbines and 2 hydrogenerators.

Have fun. Enjoy.

Links

Vendée Globe


Vendée Globe


Vendee Globe - round-the-world single-handed yacht race (2009 Video)


Dee Caffari follows in footsteps of Ellen MacArthur in Vendee Globe round-the-world race (7th November 2008 article)


Javier Sansó’s sustainable challenge.


Fossil fuel free circumnavigation

1 comment:

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

I think the Vendee Globe is perhaps my favourite race... I'm already gripped... like you I'm cheering on Sam, Alex and Mike...!