PlanetSail’s Matt Sheahan heads to the start of the Vendée Arctique in the infamous town of les Sables d'Olonne on the west coast of France to talk to skippers and find out how and why they are setting up for the big race to the north.
Taking 60ft carbon fibre grand prix machines further north than Cape Horn is south is an ambitious plan. So ambitious, that on both of the previous attempts the Vendée Arctique race course had to be modified.
But the challenge of racing 60ft carbon machines so far north is giving a cult status to this race while also making it a must do event for skippers looking towards a lap of the planet in the big one, the Vendée Globe.
No practice day on Friday, three boats racing on Saturday, a three-boat pile-up on Sunday – SailGP’s Big Apple weekend did not go according to plan. Despite all the chaos, season-leaders the Bonds Flying Roos took their third consecutive win after a superb battle with Emirates Team GBR in the final.
