Another record set in Vendée Globe

One week on exactly since Nico Lunven (IMOCA Holcim-PRB) set a new solo 24-hours monohull distance record on the second day of the 2024-25 Vendée Globe, Paprec Arkéa solo skipper Yoann Richomme dramatically bettered that mark on the Vendée Globe, before running out of track and hitting the buffers as he and the other leaders of the solo non stop race around the world slowed into the Doldrums.

Richomme’s pace would surpass the same record set by Nicolas Lunven on the second day of the 2024-25 Vendée Globe, covering 546.60 nautical miles in 24 hours.

The contrast could not have been more marked. Richomme sailed a distance of 551.84 nautical miles in the 24 hours up to 0830hrs in near perfect conditions. But a few short hours later he was all but stopped, floating in almost millpond like winds that had ‘welcomed’ him to the Doldrums.

Reflecting the speed and efficiency of his latest generation Finot Conq-Coch design, on his record sprint windspeeds were relatively modest at around 17 knots but, emerging from a high pressure ridge of light winds, the seas were very flat which allowed the double solo Transat winner to push hard in relative comfort. He betters Lunven’s record by 5.24 miles (all to be ratified by WSSRC).

Standing on the deck of Paprec Arkéa with his shirt off because of the heat and humidity whilst making only a few knots, Richomme told the Vendée Globe LIVE! English show today, “It was pretty unexpected because the run in between the ridge and the ITCZ has been quite short and so I was not even looking at beating the record because I thought it would be less than 500 miles but apparently it was enough and it is my main pleasure is to beat Nico Lunven in life (laughs).

“It is good, I really pushed hard, I wanted to catch the guys in front because I am really afraid of a breakaway near Brazil and so I thought I could cover some miles on that day and it worked out. It is not paying off too much right now as I am stuck in a light spot and have been here for three hours doing three or four knots. And so the thing is maybe if there was a hundred or so miles of breeze it could have been a good number of miles more.”

And, asked how long he felt his record might stand for, he responded, “If we do get into a warm front in front of a cold front on a flat sea I think the crewed record is doable because I don’t think it matters too much if you are solo or crewed for a few miles it does, we can get a lot closer to the crewed record. But you have to have the right conditions so let us see if that happens. I feel most of these boats have these kind of speeds now.”

As he spoke, Richomme still had his long, long time rival Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prevoyance) clearly in view, both snared in the same calm. Asked how much longer he anticipated being slowed he quipped, “I am not so sure, but as long as it is before Charlie Dalin, I don’t mind!”

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The Vendée Globe, raced in the 60-foot IMOCA, is the elite race round the world, solo, non-stop, and without assistance. On November 10, 40 skippers started the 2024-25 edition which begins and ends in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.

Armel Le Cléac’h, winning in 2017, holds the record for the 24,300 nm course of 74 days 03 hours 35 minutes 46 seconds. Only one sailor has won it twice: Michel Desjoyeaux in 2001 and 2009. This is tenth running of the race.