The Vendée Globe race, which is based on sailing around the world alone, non-stop, on a sailboat, is considered the most difficult sports competition.

 

Launched in 1989 by Philippe Jeantot, the Vendée Globe is the only solo and non-stop race among the world tour yacht races. It is called the "Everest of the Seas" for a reason. While more than 6 thousand people have managed to climb the summit of Everest to date, the number of sportspeople who have completed the Vendée Globe is less than 100. This number is one-sixth of the number of astronauts who have gone into space to date.

 

The race, which starts every four years from the port of Les Sables d'Olonne in France, is like the world cup of sailing. Starting from Les Sables d'Olonne, the sportspeople go south and turn left under Africa, circling the three big capes (Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn) in turn, in other words, turn around Antarctica, and back into the Atlantic Ocean, go north and finish the race at the port where they started. Although they are first met with the summer of the southern seas first in the race that starts in the middle of autumn, their return coincides with winter. Each phase takes place in different meteorological conditions. It is sometimes necessary to deal with waves up to 15 meters, crazy currents and polar winds along the 40 thousand 075 kilometers track.

 

The Vendeé Globe, where 18-meter IMOCA 60 class yachts compete, witnesses incredible stories of courage and solidarity as well as competition. The story of Pete Goss, who saved Raphael Dinelli in the race of 1996 by going 150 miles against the wind when his boat had turned upside down while he was 2 thousand 500 hundred nautical miles away from the shore.

 

The last race of the Vendeé Globe was completed by the French sportsman Yannick Bestaven in 80 days, 3 hours, 44 minutes and 46 seconds. The record, on the other hand, belongs to another French sportsman Armel Le Cléac'h with 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds. The next race will start on November 10, 2024. The fact that Tolga Pamir, who is the first solo open sea racer of Turkey and has crossed the Atlantic alone three times, also having the chance to participate in this race makes the tenth Vendeé Globe even more exciting for us.