Vendée Globe 2024 round-the-world race start
Broadcasting highlights of the Vendée Globe 2024 Singlehanded Round the World Race on Bluewater Sailors (Navegantes Oceánicos)
The official start of the Vendée Globe took place today at 13:02 hours. The skippers have embarked on the most famous and difficult of circumnavigations, with more than 24,000 nautical miles (45,000 km) to cover solo, non-stop and unassisted.
Only one boat, Conrad Colman (MS Amlin), was unable to cross the line on schedule, due to a technical problem (more details below). Light winds of only 4 to 7 knots and bright sunshine made it easy to get into the race, after a particularly emotional morning. The sailors cast off between 08:00 and 10:00, after saying goodbye to their loved ones at the docks.
They then descended the legendary canal of Les Sables d’Olonne in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators who had gathered for the occasion earlier in the morning. The last team members on board jumped into the water to be picked up by support dinghies five minutes before the start, leaving the skippers finally alone and able to focus solely on the race.
The wind is expected to pick up slightly today, before the competitors face the first night of many alone on the world’s vast oceans.
VENDÉE GLOBE 2024 START
VENDÉE GLOBE 2024 ROUTE
