Introduction

Everest of the seas

In theory, the Vendée Globe is an utterly simple affair. Its fundamental principles come down to a few sentences, compared to which even the roughest logbook would seem sophisticated. A sailing race around the world, for singlehanded sailors, without any stopover. That's it. In theory at least, because beyond these words, we find the stuff of legends.

Official supplier of legends since 1989, this race has captivated the maritime world and the public in general, to the point where even the strongest superlatives seem unable to define it. The sea also has its mythical summit, created twenty years ago by a sailor, two times winner around the world. Philippe Jeantot bathing in the glory of his two victories in the BOC Challenge, the single-handed race around the world with stopovers, wished to go further with the idea of an adventure… "Time," he wrote, "is a necessary factor to attain perfect harmony with one's sailboat. We had to forget about stopping. A round-the-world race, without stopovers or assistance, such were the conditions to reach the desired communion. For the first edition, we set off towards the unknown. None of the 13 sailors who crossed the starting line in 1989 had the experience of a solo journey exceeding 100 days".

With each new race, the Vendée Globe has forged its legend and crowned the glory of its conquerors:
- Titouan Lamazou, first winner of the Vendée Globe (1989-1990),
- Alain Gautier (1992-1993)
- Christophe Auguin (1996-1997)
- Michel Desjoyeaux (2000-2001)
- Vincent Riou (2004-2005)
- Michel Desjoyeaux (2008-2009), first sailor to win the Vendée Globe twice.

The map