For the fortieth edition of the Solitaire du Figaro, which will begin on 30th July in Lorient, five skippers, who took part in the last edition of the Vendée Globe will be lining up for the start. Michel Desjoyeaux, the skipper of Foncia has won the Figaro event three times and the Vendée Globe twice. Yann Eliès (Generali) is making his comeback after winning his first two races at the start of the season. But we shall also be closely watching Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air) and Jérémie Beyou, who respectively won the 2003 and 2005 edition of the event. Last but not least, Jonny Malbon (Artemis Ocean Racing) will be taking part for the first time in the series and is competing therefore as a novice.

The Weymouth-based sailor Steve White, who finished eighth in the last edition of the Vendée Globe, is already looking for a partner with whom he can work towards the 2012 edition of the race. Meanwhile, he has just announced his plans for the 2009 season. In August, he will be taking part in the Fastnet Race before setting off to Scandinavia to take part in the Archipelago Raid, which is raced aboard F18 catamarans between Sweden and Finland. He will be in good company this year, as he will be competing against two other Vendee Globe racers from the past, Ellen MacArthur and Conrad Humphreys. In November, he will be back aboard his Imoca 60 to line up for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre. After attending the recent Vendée Globe prize-giving ceremony, he appears to be even more enthusiastic than ever about taking part again in 2012 and is convinced that the coverage offered by such a race would be exceptional for a sponsor.

Dee Caffari and her all-women crew are ready to set off to attempt to break the round Britain and Ireland record. On Wednesday, Dee organised a press call in Portsmouth with Sam Davies, Miranda Merron, Alex Sizer and Isabelle Joschke, but unfortunately the conditions are not yet suitable for the crew to set out. The warm, summery weather that has been felt over Britain this week is the result of a high pressure area centred between Scotland and Iceland. The weather forecasters believe this high will only slowly move off northwards and that consequently, the wind will be light or even disappear off the north-west of the British Isles in the coming days. The women are therefore going to have to wait a little while longer, at least until early next week, for an opportunity to begin their attempt.

The 2008-2009 Vendée Globe prize-giving ceremony took place on Saturday 23rd May 2009. You can view the photos of this exceptional evening attended by more than 120,000 people by clicking here.

If you are a British TV viewer and missed the highlights of the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe on Channel Four, there is another opportunity to see film of the race and the competitors in May. The series originally shown in March concentrates on the British entrants and includes footage filmed by the sailors themselves at sea, as well as the start and finish of the race. Parts 3 and 4 will be shown next Sunday at seven in the morning (British Summer Time).

The Vendée Globe online store is still open 24 hours a day. You can find the Vendée Globe collection of clothes for men, women and children. The ideal gift for fans of the Vendée Globe. To visit the site click here!