Here comes the Vendee Globe, solo round the world yacht race for 2000: Best boat or worst, weather systems will decide the winner for sure

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Around the world ... all alone!

Vendee Globe skippers who read the weather best will stand to gain … if equipment and spirit don’t break first!

November 5, 2000

When skippers in this year’s Vendee Globe solo ’round the world race head out into the Atlantic from their start at Les Sables D’Olone, they will be following a 150 year tradition of salty sailors in choosing the ‘great circle route’.

It is the shortest route around the world, and in fact is a kind of buoy race, with yachts deftly navigating down the Atlantic and rounding Antarctica before heading home.

The Southern Ocean section of the race - a full month in the wild, wild south - is foremost on the minds of everyone involved, from skippers to spectators. It is here where storm survival conditions are the norm. During the last Vendee Globe in 1996/97, two meteorological ‘bombs’ along the 50^th parallel south west of Perth, rolled Raphael Dinelli, then Thierry Dubois and Tony Bullimore - all within a week of each of each other. A third storm, exploding in the most remote corner of the South Pacific, engulfed Gerry Roufs and Isabelle Autissier. Autissier coped with her typical level-headed bravery, despite having lost her mainsail halyard and jib furling system. What happened to Roufs is unclear and no one will ever know. He, and his brand new Open 60 monohull, Groupe LG2, disappeared without a trace.

Unusual storms? Perhaps an unusual year? Nope. Take a look at an animated satellite image of the Southern Ocean and you will see bands of cloud circulating the pole like the spokes of a wheel. Along the bands form low pressure cells with such rapidity, that a single image relayed to a sailor six hours after it was taken may no longer be relevant.

According to routing legend Bob Rice, typical Southern Ocean conditions in the Austral summer include a 10 to 20 foot swell and 30 knots winds from the westerly quadrant. Sailors can expect a frontal system to pass overhead every three days, with winds shifting quickly and with force from the north-east to north-west to the south-west, creating painful cross seas on top of a large swell. And always, bearing down on the sailor who surfs the big south, is the threat of bigger stuff - much bigger stuff.

"The Vendee Globe," explains Rice, "takes masochism to new heights."

Why do they do it?

The Vendee Globe skippers of today are a breed unto themselves.

Sure they have their roots in the rugged adventure hero mould, the likes of which produced Robin Knox-Johnston and Bernard Moitessier. This pair were the most successful of nine starters in the Golden Globe race of 1968 - the first non-stop 'round the world race along the great circle route.

It was a big ask of any sailor and Knox-Johnston was the only one to finish after Moitessier, positioned to win, decided to go feral and sail for Tahiti after rounding the Horn.

The most infamous entrant - Donald Crowhurst - aboard a modified Arthur Piver designed trimeran, was so unprepared and so mentally unstable, that he drifted into madness deep in the South Atlantic, later walking off his vessel as it sailed north.

The first Vendee Globe in 1989 Saw the resurrection of the solo, non-stop circumnavigation with more than a few skippers inspired by Moitessier’s spiritual journey through the Southern Ocean.

"It is all of life that I contemplate," wrote Moitessier of his joy at being alone on the sea. "Sun, clouds, time that passes and abides." The vessel that carried him to this place was a "little red and white planet made of space, pure air, stars, clouds and freedom in its deepest, most natural sense."

Philippe Jeantot, the man behind the Vendee Globe, credits Moitessier for inspiring him.

In Derek Lundy's book 'Godforsaken Sea', Jeantot tells the author that Moitessier's tome 'The Long Way' has changed the lives of many people in France. Jeantot, winner of two solo 'round the world races and veteran of five Southern Ocean passages 'can't go sailing without feeling the spirit of Moitessier'.

Last Vendee winner Christophe Auguin talked of 'communion' with his boat and veteran contender Marc Thiercelin, one of the real podium possibilities in this year's race, notes that his favourite latitude is 40 degrees south, 'this virgin territory where I was so serene'.

The Vendee Globe 2000 promises as much excitement and meloncholy. It is, like Everest, a feral challenge in a world gone tame.

Did you know?

The Vendee Globe race is different from any other ocean event in that contestant sail non-stop around the world, alone, without any outside assistance. Sailors regard it as the toughest event - mentally and physically.

Vendee Globe Race rules:

Routing :
Any information that is specially prepared or individualised for a single competitor concerning the weather or routing is forbidden. Only information (regardless of whether one must pay for it or not) that is available to all competitors is authorised. A signed declaration by each competitor and each sponsor certifying the respect of this rule will be requested before the start and after the finish of the race.
A refusal to sign this declaration or the non-respect of the rule will lead to the immediate disqualification of the competitor from the race.

The authorised sources of meteorological information are as follows:

weather charts broadcast by SSB (weather facsimile)
satellite pictures
weather bulletins broadcast by terrestrial stations
weather bulletins broadcast as part of the SMDSM (worldwide distress and safety at sea system), Nautex and Métaréa (via Inmarsat C, EGC and Safety Net).
Uncut digital data along the lines of that provided by the organisers or purchased from the Météo France’s Neptune system.
weather bulletin provided by the organisers.

Compulsory passage points

Les Sables d’Olonne
The Canaries
Antarctic to starboard
Heard Island to starboard
A marker at 50°S 90°E to starboard
A marker at 57°S 180° to starboard
A marker at 57°S 120°W to starboard
A marker at 27°S 67°W to starboard
Cape Horn to port
Les Sables d’Olonne

Yacht types

The race is open to monohulls with an overall length (LOA) of between 50 and 60 feet (>= 15.24 metres and <= 18.28 metres). The overall length excludes all appendages (flying jib boom, speed regulators and suspended exterior rudders).

The total length of appendages (fore and aft) must not extend the overall length by more than 6 feet (1.82 metres).

Stays, backstays, runners, permanent and temporary shrouds must only be attached to the interior of the main deck Clues and tacks of hoisted sails must not extend beyond the authorised appendages

The maximum authorised draft is 4.50 metres.

Articulating masts are not authorised in the single-handed category.

An emergency tiller is compulsory. The yacht must also possess a system that enables it to be steered in all sea conditions in the event of the rudder failing.

All yachts must be equipped with at least an active self-righting system for large angles. The skipper will have to explain how the system works with the help of the yacht’s design plans.

All heavy equipment (batteries, anchors, water reserves, tool box) must be attached in such a way as to remain firmly in place regardless of the boat’s position.

External assistance

During the event the yacht may have no material contact with another vessel or aircraft. It cannot be refuelled in any manner whatsoever.

A yacht may put into port by its own means but may not receive any external assistance, even medical, nor draw alongside a quay or vessel.

The skipper is not authorised to step on land or disembark beyond the limit of the greatest high tide.

In the event of these rules not being respected the yacht will be deemed to be out of the race and will not be classified.

A skipper who wishes to draw alongside a quay or vessel, step on land, receive external assistance or be refuelled will only be able to do so within the harbour of the port of Les Sables d’Olonne and with the permission of the race committee.
He or she will not be allowed to restart the race any later than ten days after the start of the race.

During the check at the different points of passage mentioned in 3.2 a competitor will only be able to receive medical assistance from persons authorised by the race committee.