Vendée Globe

The Vendée Globe caravan will be back on the road on Monday 26th January, as it will be leaving its Parisian HQ in the Montparnasse Tower to head back to les Sables d’Olonne, which will once again become the nerve centre for the race. The Race Village for the finish will be officially inaugurated at 10h30 on 30th January, and the first competitor is expected back in Vendée between 31st January and 2nd February.

The circle is almost complete for the first competitors and for the Vendée Globe organisers, who return to where it all began: Les Sables d’Olonne. A 2500 square metre village (twice the size of the 2004 village) will be open to the public from 30th January to 22nd February… a period, which coincides with the French school holidays. After that date, special arrangements will be set up to welcome home those still racing, with in particular a press conference hall at Ruchaud’s, in the Place du Vendée Globe.

Apart from the trade displays and catering facilities, the Race Village for the finish is also the ideal place to experience the final moments of this sixth Vendée Globe. The public is invited to attend the live radio programme (every day at 11h30), get information about the latest developments in the race and watch the film looking back at the highlights of this year’s race.

The Vendée celebrating its heroes
To keep informed about the progress of the boats, visit this website, which will keep you up to date with the ETAs. After the finishing line has been crossed off the South Nouch Buoy at the tip of the entrance channel to the harbour in Les Sables d’Olonne, the monohulls will head up the channel, where spectators can get a grandstand view and cheer their heroes. It will take between an hour from crossing the line to the boat arriving in the harbour channel and then another hour for them to reach the podium.

All of the site will be equipped with a sound system enabling everyone to follow the boats’ progress. A big screen will also be set up in the Vendée Globe village square to show the boats arriving. Once moored at the pontoon, after 20 minutes or so for the media, the skipper will climb on to the podium in the Vendée Globe Square. After half an hour of celebrations, they will give a press conference in the village, which will be open to the media and general public.

For those, who cannot attend, keep visiting the website to follow everything as it happens. Please note that the boats must remain moored at Port Olonna for seven days.

TGV train service
Since mid December, two direct high speed trains have linked Paris Montparnasse with Les Sables d’Olonne, at 10h00 and 17h50 (French time).
 

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