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