This Sunday at 1:02 PM, the 29 skippers of the Vendée Globe will set off for 3 to 4 months of competition around the world. Discover the key figures of this extraordinary race.
78 days, 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds
That is the record time set by François Gabart, in 2012-2013, to win the “Everest of the Seas.”
400,000
This is the number of spectators expected on Sunday morning, from 5 AM, at Port Olona and along the channel. The first competitor to leave the docks will depart at 8:50 AM (Didac Costa on One Planet, One Ocean).
24,000 miles
That is just over 48,000 kilometers. It’s the theoretical distance for the journey from Les Sables d’Olonne… back to Les Sables d’Olonne. Gabart in 2013 covered 28,646 miles (53,000 km).
160,000€
This is the prize money the winner of the race will receive.
12,500
The number of people expected on the water, this Sunday morning and afternoon according to the race management.
1,100
This is the number of accredited journalists and photographers (22 nationalities, 150 foreign media).
60
This is the size in feet of the monohull, equating to 18.28 meters.
43
This is the age gap between the youngest participant of the eighth edition (Alan Roura, 23 years old) and the oldest (Rich Wilson, 66 years old).
29
The number of competitors in this eighth edition. It’s not the record (30 in 2008).
29
This is the height, in meters, of the masts of the main competitors.
14
The number of competitors who will be starting for the first time. They are called “rookies.”
13
This is in knots, the wind speed announced for the start (about 24 km/h).
10
The number of nationalities represented in this edition. A record.
7
The number of boats equipped with foils, the great novelty of the 2016-2017 edition.
5
The number of skippers who will cross the starting line for the fourth time (J-P Dick on StMichel-Virbac, Vincent Riou on PRB, Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss, Jean Le Cam on Finistère Mer Vent, and Bertrand de Broc on MACSF).
4
The time gain (in days) announced by some skippers for the boats equipped with foils.
3
The number of capes to be rounded during the course (Cape of Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn).
3 to 6
The number of hours of sleep, on average, per day. According to the skippers, these are in segments of 40-45 minutes.
