Image: Biotherm skipper Paul Meilhat (FRA) is photographed in the channel after taking 5th place in the Vendee Globe, on January 24, 2025 in Les Sables d'Olonne, France - (Photo by Lloyd Images / Alea)
Paul Meilhat, 5th in the 2024 Vendée Globe
This Friday at 10h40 UTC, after 74 days, 22 hour s and 38 minutes of racing Paul Meilhat crossed the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne to take fifth place on this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe. For the 42 year old the result underlines the remarkable tenacity and talent which he showed on the 2016-17 race which he had to abandon due to a keel ram failure whilst lying third.
Meilhat’s resilience has been shown many times on and off the water. On this race he has ground out his fifth place making smart, assured moves in the South Atlantic, repairing several technical problems and then pushing hard and fast up the Atlantic to finally break away from Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB) in the last few days to secure fifth.
After winning the 2018 Route du Rhum, he didn’t manage to launch a project for the 2020 Vendée Globe. In 2022, he is back with a new campaign, in Biotherm colours in which he also led his team to fourth place on the last The Ocean Race. And when he needed new foils after he damaged one in the Transat CIC Meilhat took a personal bank loan to fund the replacements.
His solo race around the world has been punctuated by critical situations that have tested his limits and challenged his legendary determination. On 14 January, while sailing up the Atlantic, his IMOCA suffered a major breakdown: the forestay gave way, endangering the rig. Determined to bring his boat back to Vendée, he climbed the mast to repair it, a risky manoeuvre that he successfully carried out.
His arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne was charged with emotion. The fatigue was visible on his face, but also an immense pride in having completed this extraordinary adventure. With this 5th place, Paul Meilhat confirms his status as one of the best skippers of his generation. This Vendée Globe has been an exceptional human and sporting adventure for him, marked by bold strategic choices and unwavering tenacity. His return to Les Sables d’Olonne bears witness to the respect and admiration he inspires.
Nicolas Lunven, 6th in the Vendée Globe 2024
This Friday at 0751 PM UTC, after 75 days, 07 hours and 49 minutes of racing, Nicolas Lunven crossed the Vendée Globe finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne in sixth place, in the midst of a building winter storm. The completion of his circumnavigation represents a remarkable performance for the Breton skipper’s first participation, especially as he didn’t take the reins of Holcim - PRB’s IMOCA until September 2023, little more than a year before the start.
An extremely experienced and talented sailor, Nicolas was an obvious choice to take the Holcim - PRB campaign forward. Significant career milestones already included two Solitaire du Figaro victories (2009 and 2017), plus three participations in The Ocean Race. He also has almost a decade of experience in the IMOCA class, including the successful completion of the 2022 Vendée Arctique, taking 10th place in an older boat sporting the colours of a previous sponsor.
Audacity and resilience
Nicolas immediately confirmed that he was ready to compete in the big leagues. Taking advantage of bold strategic options, he was the first skipper in this edition of the Vendée Globe to break the solo 24 hour distance record in a 60ft yacht, covering 546.60 miles. Although this was surpassed by Yoann Richomme and Sébastien Simon, it nevertheless highlights his ability to exploit all the speed of his IMOCA.
He also demonstrated both calm and ingenuity when faced with technical issues, including a repair to a ballast hatch in the doldrums and damage to his mainsail in the Southern Ocean.
Consistently good strategic choices, combined with an ability to sail cleanly in the most harsh conditions, were highlighted in a close match with Jérémie Beyou and Thomas Ruyant in the Pacific.
Tenacity in the face of the unexpected
The loss of masthead wind sensors in an area of intense thunder storms during the ascent of the Atlantic robbed Nicolas of equipment that’s essential for optimising performance. Yet being forced to rely on a makeshift arrangement rigged on the pushpit at the back of the boat didn’t appear to dent his speed and he even gained a place in the final days, having made particularly good progress in an intense depression before the Azores.
Lunven’s performance in his first Vendée Globe shows he has the mindset, determination and technical skill to compete with the very best at the highest echelon of his sport, suggesting more exploits to come for the 42-year-old skipper.