When will the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 finish line close?
The finish line of the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 will be officially closed on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 8:00 am, i.e 116 days 18 hours, 15 minutes and 46 seconds after the start on November 10, 2024. March 7 will also be 52nd day after arrival of winner Charly Dalin. This time is calculated according to the time taken by the last competitor to finish the previous edition. In the 2020-2021 edition, Finn Ari Huusela on the IMOCA Stark finished 25th and last on March 5 at 8 h 35, 36 d 14 h 31 min after the winner, Yannick Bestaven.
Why is a closing date set?
The closing date for the finish line has been set for several reasons:
- Logistics management : guaranteeing port organization and the availability of teams in Les Sables-d'Olonne.
- Skipper safety to control the duration of the race to avoid perilous situations in poor weather conditions.
- Sporting consistency to define a reference period allowing all competitors to race under the same rules.
What happens if a skipper arrives after the finish line has closed?
A skipper who arrives after the line closing date is not officially classified in the race. However, his achievement remains recognized and acclaimed by the sailing community, and he may be included on the list of unclassified finishers. The same applies to skippers who have retired and resumed the race out of the race, like Yannick Bestaven (Maitre Coq) on this 2024 edition.
The case of Sébastien Destremau in 2016-2017, a notable exception
In the 2016-2017 edition, French skipper Sébastien Destremau, aboard TechnoFirst - faceOcean , crossed the finish line on March 11, 2017 after 124 days of racing, i.e. 10 days late, but the organizers decided to extend the duration to allow him to be classified. This decision was motivated by the desire to reward the skipper's perseverance, but also to make up for the particularly difficult weather conditions that delayed the competitors.
However, the organization subsequently decided to return to a stricter policy, in order to preserve the competitive integrity of the race.
