November 10, 2024 will see the start of the Vendée Globe, a non-assisted, non-stop single-handed round-the-world race reserved for IMOCA boats. This record-breaking edition welcomes 40 participants.
Competitors are due to arrive in Port Olonna, Les Sables-d'Olonne on October 19 (3 weeks before the start of the race). And while visitors to the pontoon will be given free tickets, each skipper has already been allocated a place in the port.
Places are allocated by drawing lots under the supervision of a bailiff. When allocating places, we also had to take into account the width of the boats, many of which are now equipped with foils. These appendages increase the boat's beam, making it difficult to fit between the catways, where the IMOCA boats are lined up in pairs.
But does assigning a location make a difference to the start of the raceâeuros?
Absolutely not, since the starting line is anchored off Port Bourgenay. So it's purely a media story. At the head of the pontoon, the sponsor will have more visibility with the general public, particularly during TV broadcasts in the run-up to the start. But it's also the yachts at the other end of the pontoon that will be the first to enter the famous Les Sables d'Olonne channel...
