Billed as the prologue to the Vendee Globe single handed around the world race, the 3,500-mile New York-Vendee-Les Sables d’Olonne Transatlantic Race scheduled for June 16, 2020 has attracted a bumper entry of 27 solo skippers from seven countries – including five women.
The fact that the entry is nearly double the 14 that competed at the last edition in 2016 is impressive enough and a testimony to the strength of the IMOCA 60 class these days. Even more striking though is that the fleet will feature 17 foiling boats – including eight new-built latest generation boats.
Among those are the predicted front-runners in the Vendee Globe – which starts from Les Sables d’Olonne five months later in November – including Jérémie Beyou on Charal and Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. Five female skipper are registered: Clarisse Crémer, Samantha Davies, Isabelle Joschke, Miranda Merron and Pip Hare.
Registered entry list
Fabrice Amedeo – Newrest-Art et Fenêtres
Romain Attanasio – PURE
Yannick Bestaven – Maître CoQ
Jérémie Beyou – Charal
Conrad Colman – Ethical Power
Manuel Cousin – Groupe Setin
Clarisse Cremer – Banque Populaire IX
Charlie Dalin – APIVIA
Sam Davies – Initiatives Cœur
Benjamin Dutreux – Water Family-Oceania Hotels
Kevin Escoffier – PRB
Pip Hare – Pip Hare Ocean Racing
Boris Herrmann – Malizia II-Yacht Club de Monaco
Isabelle Joschke – MACSF
Stéphane Le Diraison – Time For Oceans
Miranda Merron – Campagne de France
Erik Nigon – Vers un Monde sans Sida
Giancarlo Pedote – Prysmian Group
Alan Roura – La Fabrique
Thomas Ruyant – ADVENS for Cybersecurity
Damien Seguin – Groupe APICIL
Kojiro Shiraishi – DMG Mori Global One
Sébastien Simon – ARKEA PAPREC
Maxime Sorel – VandB-Mayenne
Alex Thomson – Hugo Boss
Armel Tripon – L’Occitane en Provence
Nicolas Troussel – CORUM L’Epargne
Main Image © Maxime Horlaville / Apivia