On Thursday 6 July, the organisers of the famous non-stop, non-assisted, single-handed round the world race revealed the Notice of Race for their transatlantic, the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne. This competition, which will start off New York on 29 May 2024, will be decisive for the next Vendée Globe in several respects. Here are some explanations.
This 2nd edition of the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne, the first organised by the Vendée Globe organisers, will set off from the United States next May. The transatlantic race is already shaping up to be a major event, attracting a huge amount of sporting interest: around forty skippers are expected to line up, compared with 14 in 2016... The first record is therefore all but set.
And considering the lightning technological development of the boats in recent years, the record time for the race, set by Jérémie Beyou in 2016 - 9d 16h 57min 52s - should also be smashed!
With just a few months to go to the Vendée Globe, this final confrontation will be an opportunity to determine the strongest contenders for the next solo, non-stop, non-assisted round the world race. It is the ultimate opportunity for the favourites to assert their power before competing in the greatest of all ocean races.
Before setting off on this demanding 3,200-mile course, the sailors will treat the New York public to a great show in Manhattan Bay, organised on 24 May 2024 at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. The "Liberty Race" promises breathtaking images.
Last qualifying race for the Vendée Globe
This Atlantic crossing will be the last qualifying race for the 2024 Vendée Globe. To qualify, skippers must take part in two qualifying races: one in 2022 or 2023 and one in 2024. They must finish one of them in a time that cannot exceed the winner's time plus 50%. That's why taking part in this race is a real challenge for future Vendée Globe competitors.
Final selection race: 1 mile sailed = 1.5 miles counted
The New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne is also the last race in which the skippers clock up miles for their selection in the Vendée Globe, if more than 40 of them qualify. To underline its importance, the organisers have given it a special feature: for every mile sailed, the sailors will clock up 1.5 miles. So this transatlantic race counts for more than any other selection race!
The Vendée Globe line-up unveiled at the finish
After crossing the Atlantic and heading up the legendary channel in Les Sables d'Olonne, 40 competitors will pick up their precious pass: the entry ticket to the next Vendée Globe!
It's a unique moment for the teams, the sponsors and the sailors, for whom this round the world represents the achievement of a 4-year project and, for many of them, the dream of a lifetime. Sharing and emotion will be the watchwords of these finishes, which will serve as a dress rehearsal for those of the Vendée Globe in 2025.
We look forward to seeing you on 9 June 2024 for the prize-giving ceremony, which will be held on the Vendée Globe esplanade in Les Sables d'Olonne.
Alain Leboeuf, President of the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne, of the Vendée Globe and the Département de la Vendée: « We are very proud to be organising the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne. This race is particularly important as it is the last qualifying and selection race for the Vendée Globe. »