Conseil Général de Vendée

The Vendée Globe: forever in Vendée It was not by chance that the Vendée Globe was created in the Vendée area of France: this is a land of entrepreneurs, where people willingly take up challenges, so our « department » looking outwards to the Atlantic was the obvious choice.
Since the very first contest back in 1989, the sports fans and adventure lovers of Vendée have turned out in force for those skippers, attempting to overcome the Everest of the seas every four years. It was quite natural that they got together with the County Council to ensure that this race was forever linked to Vendée and that the planet's greatest skippers would choose the port of Les Sables d'Olonne as the starting point and finish for the craziest project in their career.
The gamble has clearly paid off, as the last Vendée Globe race was an unprecedented sporting success with Vincent Riou shattering the race record (a little over 87 days) after a toughly fought battle on the seas with « King Jean ».

Going beyond the purely sporting aspect, the Vendée Globe remains a fantastic media and tourism opportunity for the whole of Vendée. Thus, in 2004, 842,000 visitors strolled along the pontoons in Port Olonna and more than 30,000 press articles (printed press, radio, television) were published around the world.
The story continues and already a large number of skippers are dreaming of becoming part of the legend when they cross the starting line for the next Vendée Globe on 9th November 2008.

Website: www.vendee.fr

Sodebo

As the sole major Vendée Globe sponsor from the private sector, the Vendée-based company has once more confirmed its commitment to the grand adventures of racing on the high seas, and more specifically to non-stop, single-handed circumnavigations of the globe. 'A circumnavigation of the globe is a comprehensive adventure full of freedom, commitment, and audacity, which are the values that the company has adhered to since it was created more than 35 years ago,' points out Patricia Brochard, co-president of the Sodebo group.

With a strong basis in modern times and at the service of an ever-more practical and fun lifestyle, Sodebo today is the market-leader in fresh deli products. Its wide range of delicious, varied, modern, affordable products are in line with the Pastabox 'revolution'.
Above all, Sodebo is about freedom, commitment, and fun... three fundamental values that have acted as a foundation for the company since its origins, helping it to offer the best of its products every day. But ensuring that customers have the freedom to choose cannot be done without exacting standards and a sense of responsibility, as Patricia Brochard specifies: 'Outside of the food industry, such freedom is a fundamental right—but we can only enjoy it to the full in a healthy environment, for ourselves and for future generations.

As a loyal sponsor of high-seas racing, with which it has shared its values of freedom, dedication, and fun since 1998, Sodebo is proud to support, for the third year in a row, all the French and foreign skippers participating in this great sporting adventure, 'whether racing or attempting to set a record, circumnavigating the globe is an exceptional sporting, technological, and human challenge, a true lesson in living that even has similarities with the world of business,' points out the co-president of Sodebo, who knows full well what she's talking about, and for good reason... In late 2010, Thomas Coville, the skipper on the Sodebo maxi-trimaran, will once again attempt to set a record for circumnavigation of the globe, single-handed in a multihull: 'Sailing is so important to us because it reminds us that adventure and audacity are only possible if you really set your mind to it and stick to the rules of safety, for example. Freedom is not the same as recklessness. Freedom leads to greatness only when combined with perfectionism and exacting standards in every endeavour.

Website : www.sodebo.fr

Les Sables d'Olonne

Les Sables d'Olonne, city of the Vendée Globe !
The city of Les Sables d'Olonne has hosted the start and finish of the Vendée Globe since its creation in 1989. Every four years, it becomes the home port for all the heroes of the race!
Hundreds of thousands of visitors pace up and down the pontoons to admire the boats, hoping to meet theadventurers who are the heartbeat of the oceanic town all winter long. Loyal supporters since the very beginning of the adventure, the people of Les Sables have largely participated in the reputation of the solo non-stop round the world race by being present for every arrival of the stout-hearted pioneers. Joy, anticipation, powerful emotion and apprehension under the scrutiny of national and international media are part of the story!

This popular sporting event also offers the opportunity to showcase the multiple facets of the city, its maritime tradition as well as its tourist appeal. Its many anchorage points await you, from its 3km sandy beach and brand new promenade to the museum, congress centre and typical city centre. Come and join us on the "Côte de Lumière" (coast of lights) and share the thrill of living at the sea spray's heartbeat!


Website: www.lessablesdolonne.fr