Vendée Globe announces next edition to set off 10/11/24
Thirty one of the 33 skippers who competed in the 9th Vendée Globe mustered in Les Sables-d’Olonne for the official prize giving as the date for the start of the 10th edition was announced as November 10, 2024.
Yannick Bestaven (Maître-CoQ) received the top award as the overall winner.
Crowds were strictly limited at the prize giving, and it was a relatively muted affair compared to previous years.
Only Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer – Yacht Club de Monaco) and Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) did not attend.
“Winning has changed a lot of things,” says Bestaven. “Finishing the Vendée Globe is already a victory. The second win was to have a partner, who trusted me and my team. And, over the course of the race, the ambitions came. I never said to myself that I had secured the victory: there were so many twists. It wasn’t until the finish line was crossed that I knew I had won. I want to get back out on the water, but on the Vendée Globe? I don’t know yet, we’ll see.”
As reported by Marine Industry News, Pip Hare and sponsors Medallia have already invested in a new boat.
“I reckon we will see more girls on the next race,” Hare says in a recent interview with Vendée Globe organisers.
“Talking with all the girls recently I think we all want to be back, I was speaking to Miranda and she wants to do it again. And there are more girls out there.
“I was in Jersey giving a talk recently and there were two ladies came up to me there and just said to me how inspired they have been to improve their own sailing, at their own level. That was really lovely. The interesting thing is everyone kind of assumes it is about inspiring the younger generation but it is not.
“Sailing is for everyone and there are entry levels at every point, but yes it is great to talk about inspiring the younger generation, but there is a change in the demographic of the mass of people on the water and I think in due course that will make it easier for women at the elite end of the sport.”
Image courtesy of Olivier Blanchet, Alea.
