Speed record falls again on Vendée Globe

(November 27, 2024; Day 18) – Unprecedented solo monohull speeds continue to be sustained by the leading five boats on the Vendée Globe as they head towards the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope.

The fastest among the group is Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil), pushing the 24-hour solo monohull record higher and higher on successive skeds today, reaching a new best ever mark of 614.25 nautical miles over the 24 hours to 1330hrs UTC today.

Simon, sailing the Verdier designed boat which won The Ocean Race 2022-23 as 11th Hour Racing Team, had raised the bar to 596.23 nm to 0830hrs this morning and then, in the perfect conditions, he kept upping the ante. The previous mark of 579.86 nm was set two days earlier by Yoann Richomme (PAPREC ARKÉA).

“The boat is doing really well, there’s only one metre of sea, a reasonable wind between 24 and 26 knots of wind,” he reports. “I have two reefs in the mainsail, under FRO, in a relatively safe configuration for the boat. It’s an incredible distance, I would never have imagined doing that.”

Jack Bouttell, who was on the winning 11th Hour Racing team, is pleased to see the boat do so well. “When you have the boat set up right like that she just rips, she loves these conditions, max power, max righting moment she is a rocket ship. It is just amazing to think the old record fully crewed was 618 miles on a 100 footer and Seb is doing it on his own.

“It is great to see the ‘old girl’ being put through her paces and going so well after all the blood, sweat, and tears we put into that boat. But when these boats get beyond 22-23 knots it feels like the world is going to end at any minute, there are all kinds of noises coming from the rig and noises from the foils, alarms are going off.”

Race updates – Tracker – Ranking – Facebook

Attrition:
Nov. 15: Maxime Sorel (FRA), V and B – Monbana – Mayenne – ankle injury, mast damage

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.

Source: VG2024, SSN