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  • #ocean
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08 November 2024

Vendée Globe 2024-2025: The Challenge

There are adventures that call out from beyond the horizon, where sea and sky become one in an embrace that few are able to witness. There are stories that shimmer like waves, suspended somewhere between dream and folly.
The Vendée Globe is one of these stories. A solo race around the world, non-stop, with no assistance: a challenge to the last breath, a hymn dedicated to freedom and to the courage of those who dare to circle the globe with nothing but the wind and their own strength of will.

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The world's most extreme and captivating race

The Vendée Globe is so much more than just a race: it is considered the most extreme solo challenge a sailor can ever face. Organised every four years, the competition represents a round-the-world sailing race with no stopovers and no outside assistance.

Les Sables d'Olonne: On course for the Vendée Globe

Every four years, the peaceful town of Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coastline is transformed into a vibrant crossroads of exciting events. It is from this very town that the sailors of the Vendée Globe will set off, set to take on the most extreme challenge there is: a round-the-world unassisted solo race. In the days leading up to their departure, the port and the city streets are crowded with fans, families and those curious to experience such a phenomenal event, all united by their passion for the sea and adventure.

The city comes alive with flags, stands and stories. The atmosphere is electrifying: the challenge of the race, the power of nature and human ingenuity collide to inspire expectations filled with admiration and respect. 

What is the Vendée Globe and how does it work?

The Vendée Globe kicks off from Les Sables d'Olonne, a port on France’s Atlantic coastline, where 40 skippers will set sail on 10th November into the Atlantic Ocean. And thus their journey around the world will begin, taking them across three of the most treacherous oceans: the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. Without a chance to catch their breath, the sailors must overcome the Doldrums (calms along the equator), the impetuous Southern Ocean and the threats of Cape Horn, a passage feared by all sailors for its extreme weather conditions.

What makes the Vendée Globe so special?

The Vendée Globe is unique in so much as each and every skipper must be entirely self-sufficient. And for SLAM, the Vendée Globe represents an equally unique opportunity to put materials and solutions to the test, capable of providing solutions to the many conditions the skippers will face. In addition to technical garments designed to protect against the cold, heat, wind and wet, all while maintaining the highest degree of comfort even in the most extreme conditions, further solutions are also developed for the many hours spent below deck, during which sailors study routes and weather conditions, seeking shelter from the constant force of the waves and preventing the potential for any accidents. Only a few skippers are able to actually complete the approximately 24,000-mile race, which first set sail in 1989 and is now regarded as one of the most prestigious competitions in ocean sailing, requiring technical skill, innovation and extraordinary psychological endurance.

The Vendée Globe, UNESCO and the IMOCA Class: Sport and Science Join Forces to Preserve the Oceans

For the 2024 edition of the Vendée Globe, 25 volunteer sailors will be collaborating with UNESCO to support global oceanographic and meteorological research. During the race, these sailors will carry on board scientific instruments for the collection of meteorological and marine data, provided by UNESCO and its scientific partners. The aim is to improve understanding of climate and the oceans, particularly in such remote areas as the Southern Ocean.

By implementing devices such as surface buoys, weather stations, autonomous Argo subsurface profiling floats, educational buoys and thermosalinographs, crucial data will be gathered and shared in real time for science and to improve weather forecasting models. This information will add significantly to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), coordinated by UNESCO, helping to enhance global knowledge and weather services.

Who will be the sailors testing SLAM clothing during the Vendée Globe?

Five French sailors will be transforming their adventure and boats into floating test labs, gathering essential feedback. They will all be wearing prototypes developed for ocean sailing, designed with advanced technological solutions and cutting-edge materials. The technical clothing is designed to respond to the evolution of ocean sailing, which has reached speeds that were unthinkable only a few years ago, thanks to the use of foils.

Every skipper taking part in the Vendée Globe brings holds a story, and a deep connection to the sea, which turns every mile into a unique personal experience. The Vendée Globe is more than just a race; it is a journey defined by courage and tenacity, reminding us all of what it means to dream and to have the strength to make that dream come true.

Discovery our solo sailors

Vendée Globe: why follow if you are not into sailing?

The Vendée Globe is not just a race for sailing experts; it is a story of men and women testing themselves, overcoming challenges that few would be able to undertake. It is a competition that represents the search for human limits, a testimony of courage and resilience capable of inspiring anyone. Each skipper tackles the ocean as a metaphor for life itself, demonstrating that even the hardest limits can be overcome with determination, preparation and confidence in one's own equipment.

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How to follow the Vendée Globe: live tracking, updates and videos

Following the Vendée Globe is an immersive and accessible experience for everyone, even those unfamiliar with sailing. In order to follow the adventure in real time, you have access to a variety of channels and resources that provide continuous updates:

The Vendée Globe official website: an interactive map showing the skippers' positions in real time is available on the official race portal. Users can follow the route, view the courses and discover each and every leg of the journey.

Social media: the Vendée Globe is active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X (Twitter), with daily updates, videos, photos and comments directly from the sailors.

Sports and TV platforms: many broadcasters and online sports platforms will provide race coverage, with specials, in-depth reports and skipper interviews.

Following the Vendée Globe is easy and offers a unique opportunity to understand what it means to take on the ocean alone. Each day brings new stories of adventure, courage and endurance, which can be followed directly from your preferred device. And, of course, the SLAM social media channels will be following its 5 sailors every step of the way on this incredible challenge around the world.

Together beyond the horizon

Following the Vendée Globe is a way to get into the heart of an epic adventure, where the ocean becomes a battlefield and modern-day sailors the explorers of our times. Thanks to live tracking tools, video updates and first-hand accounts, this extraordinary challenge is now accessible to all, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the excitement of the sea and the beauty of modern sailing, where SLAM sails with passion and energy.

text: ELENA GIOLAI/SLAM

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