The Vendée Globe has just launched a competition, which is open to the general public to offer an invitation for two people to attend the start of the Vendée Globe on Saturday 10th November 2012. All you have to do is answer three simple questions about the class of boat taking part in the Vendée Globe, the name of the only skipper to have won the race twice and the town and French department, which host the finish and you could be the lucky winner and experience the excitement of the start.

To enter, click HERE

Bruno Retailleau, President of the Vendée Council and Louis Guédon, MP and Mayor of Les Sables d'Olonne, accompanied by the British sailor Samantha Davies, today revealed the official poster for the 2012-2013 Vendée Globe, which is due to begin on Saturday 10th November 2012.

Madame Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the French Minister of the Environment, Development, Transport and Housing opened the 2011 Paris Boat Show on Friday. The minister took advantage of the opportunity to greet the British sailor Samantha Davies, who confirmed that she will be taking part in the 2012-13 Vendée Globe on the same day.

He has just announced he will be taking part in the next Vendée Globe. Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, who qualified from Southampton is a qualified naval architect. Born on 13th February 1978, he originally comes from Paimpol in Brittany. He has raced in the major events in the 60-foot monohull circuit (Imoca 60): the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, Fastnet... During his first Vendée Globe, in 2008, he was forced to return to port after suffering damage and his performance was noted when he made a spectacular comeback making his way back up the fleet, in spite of setting off six days after the start. After beating the speed record between France and South Africa, he was forced to retire from the race on the thirtieth day of the event in the Southern Ocean after his autopilots failed leading to a series of technical difficulties.

Jean-Pierre Dick and Jérémie Beyou have just won the Transat Jacques Vabre and already have their sights set on the 2012 Vendée Globe. Pierre-Louis Castelli met up with them and recorded their first impressions. The two skippers talk about how complementary they are and how they would like to meet up again on 10th November 2012 in Les Sables d'Olonne at the start of the 7th Vendée Globe. To listen to the interview in French click here

After the victory of Jean-Pierre Dick and Jérémie Beyou (Virbac-Paprec 3) in the Transat Jacques Vabre on Friday morning, the podium of the double-handed transatlantic race between Le Havre and Puerto Limon (Costa Rica) has now been completed with Alex Thomson and Guillermo Altadill on Hugo Boss finishing at 2320 GMT on Friday evening and then Armel Le Cléac’h and Christopher Pratt (Banque Populaire), who arrived at 0500 GMT on Saturday morning.

First three to finish
1 - Jean-Pierre Dick / Jérémie Beyou (Virbac-Paprec 3)
2 - Alex Thomson / Guillermo Altadill (Hugo Boss)
3 - Armel Le Cléac’h / Christopher (Banque Populaire)