Premier Ocean race for Open 60 yachts launched at the Paris Boat Show.

The Vendée Globe 2012/2013 will set sail from les Sables d’Olonne on Sunday 11th November 2012 at 1400hrs GMT, and after a year or two of mixed fortunes for the Open 60 class, the iconic yacht race is shaping up to be one of the best. The Vendee Globe has already received interest from twelve solo sailors and the target is for a fleet of 28 and 35 boats to start the race.

The Vendee Globe is of course a challenging sporting competiton, but it is also a platform for the Vendee region of France to promote itself and the area’s history and culture. The event is a partnership between local interests and the Open 60 class to generate revenue and media interest around the world. Bruno Retailleau, President of the Vendée Council, Louis Guédon, MP and Mayor of les Sables d’Olonne, Luc Talbourdet, President of the IMOCA class and Patricia Brochard, CEO of Sodebo officially launched the seventh Vendée Globe on Wednesday at the Nautic, the Paris Boat Show.

An estimated 1.7 million people attended the start and the finish of the last edition of the ocean race, generating revenues valued at more than 39 million euros. Part of the commercial success of the race is an understanding of the sailing public – the fans have been considered – not just the B2B partners and the sailors. In order to encourage the public to participate in the start of the next Vendee Globe, the date chosen for the start coincides with the middle of the half-term holidays in France and is in fact a bank holiday.

Those who compete in the Vendee Globe promote it as an adventure, a challenge akin to climbing Mt Everest. There is great milage to be made from competing in the race, but of course this is a sport and as well as returning to a heroes welcome in France, the winner of the race will bank 160,000 euros. The winner’s purse is part of a total prize fund of 600,000 euros.

Bruno Retailleau – President of the Vendée Council commented:

“I wish to remind everyone and stress once again how attached we are to the Vendée Globe, which is a sort of marker for us, a real DNA breakdown of what Vendée is. This race is extremely important because of its philosophy, the purity of the sporting spirit of the race and its huge popular success with the general public and the media. The Vendée Globe fits in with Vendée, which is a French department closely linked to the sea and we know its dangers and pleasures. Apart from safety, which is an ongoing concern, we are working on the next race to develop it as an international event, while opening up its educational aspects. In fact, we intend that after the start of the race on the 11th November in les Sables d’Olonne, the Vendée Globe Village will move to Paris so that even more people can enjoy its educational features. I would like to thank the race partners, the town of les Sables, the Vendée Chamber of Commerce, the IMOCA class, but also our headline partner Sodebo, a businesss that is anchored in Vendée and which has never forgotten its basic values in spite of its huge success. Involved in sailing for twelve years Sodebo will be alongside us for the third consecutive race and I would like to thank their President Patricia Brochard”.

Louis Guédon - Mayor of les Sables d’Olonne added:

“A few years back, we wondered whether we weren’t assassins to allow sailors to set off non stop around the world alone and without outside help. Today, even if there is still a risk, the Vendée Globe has become an event where safety remains paramount”.

Patricia Brochard – CEO of Sodebo, race sponsor said:

” Thanks to sailing and the Vendée Globe, the reputation of our company has made giant leaps forward and I invite those companies, who still hesitate to become involved in sailing, which is a remarkable means of communication. The Vendée Globe is a living legend and a race in which, as in our business, a human remains at the heart of the event”.

Yachtsponsorship.com will create a new dedicated Vendee Globe page in coming days, but until then you can read about Open 60 news including the Barcelona World Race here…

Thomas Coville has beaten the single-handed 24 hour distance record on a multihull this Sunday evening at 1815 UT with a total distance of 620.80 miles covered at the average speed of 25.87 knots.

The maxi trimaran Sodeb’O is making headway beam onto the wind in a 22 to 26 knot NNW’ly air flow with waves of 4 metres. Coville has just broken his previous record set in the same zone on 6th January 2008. At that time he covered 619 miles in 25.80 knots.The wind is filling in so the record is set to continue to increase over the coming hours. Naturally, this new record has yet to be approved by the WSSRC.

www.sodebo-voile.com

Thomas Coville has postponed his planned departure in search of the solo round the world record by 24 hours.

For the past few days Coville, the skipper of the Maxi Trimaran Sodeb’O, has been observing the evolution of a highly favourable weather window.

The weather conditions enabling a descent from Brest to the equator in less than 7 days looks possible, but there is still some doubt as regards the strength of the wind between the Canaries and Cape Verde. The team is still allowing itself the day to refine the precise hour of departure, which could take place from Tuesday morning at dawn. The decision will be made this evening, at around 2200 hours, after analysing the final grib files.

The situation at the start of the course is proving to be ideal. After setting out from Brest in a NW’ly air flow, Sodeb’O will go in search of a point to gybe in the Azores High, which is positioned a long way north and will then generate a steady E’ly tradewind enabling Thomas to adopt a direct course towards Cape Verde and the Doldrums.

A first team is currently heading towards Brest where the boat has been on standby since 29th October. Their missions? A final careening session, sail preparation and victualling with fresh products…

In order to beat the solo round the world record held since 20th January 2008 by Francis Joyon, Thomas Coville will have to return to Brest in less than 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds.

Whenever Thomas sets off, he has all the latest multimedia toys to help you follow him at http://www.sodebo-voile.com/actu/news-eng.html

The site has widgets, podcasts, audio and video, photos all allowing a global fan-base to keep in touch while at sea. It’s a growing trend and one that delivers return on investment for sponsors as well as fans.