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November 2020: Vendée Globe

The Vendée Globe is reknown as the world’s severest yacht race and is held every four years since 1989. The event is as popular as the “French Open” tennis tournament or “Tour de France” in the host country of France, as well as in other parts of Europe. Mr. Kojiro Shiraishi was the first Asian to take part in the race in 2016, but unfortunately failed to finish the course due to a broken mast. The 9^th Vendée Globe will start on November 8^th  2020 and will be his second attempt to complete the 80-day journey on his own, as a member of the DMG MORI SAILING TEAM.

• 40.075 kilometers, 21.638 miles: that is the circumference of the Earth and the distance of reference around the world
• Recordholder: : Armel Le Cléac’h, Banque Populaire VIII, 74d 03h 35m 46s

To date, the Vendée Globe is the only sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance. The event followed in the wake of the Golden Globe which had initiated the first circumnavigation of this type via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) in 1968. Only one out of the nine pioneers who had set off in 1968 succeeded in returning to Falmouth, the major port of British Cornwall. On 6^th April 1969, after 313 days at sea, British sailor Robin Knox-Johnston finally reached his goal. Twenty years later, after having won the BOC Challenge twice (solo round the world with stopovers), navigator Philippe Jeantot introduced the idea of a new race around the world, but…non-stop! The Vendée Globe race was born. On 26^th November 1989, thirteen sailors took the start of the first edition which lasted over three months. Only seven returned to Les Sables d'Olonne.

The eight editions of what is now called the Everest of the seas by the public have enabled 167 contenders to take the start of this extraordinary race. Only 89 of them managed to cross the finish line. This figure alone shows the extreme difficulty of this global event in which solo racers are confronted to freezing cold, gigantic waves and heavy skies which sweep the Great South! The Vendée Globe is first and foremost a journey beyond the seas and deep down oneself… It has rewarded great sailors: TitouanLamazou in 1990, Alain Gautier in 1993, Christophe Auguin in 1997, Vincent Riou in 2005, François Gabart in 2013 and Armel LeCléac'h in 2017. The skipper from Finistère became the new record holder of the race in 74 days. Only one sailor has won it twice: Michel Desjoyeaux, in 2001 and 2009. The 9^th Vendée Globe will leave Les Sables d'Olonne on Sunday 8^th November 2020.