Vendée Globe Challenge Started

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Vendée Globe Challenge Started
Vendée Globe Challenge Started

Video: Vendée Globe Challenge Started

Video: Vendée Globe Challenge Started
Video: [EN] Start of the Vendée Globe 2020 2024, March
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Start of Vendée Globe 2004

To the stormy applause of 300,000 spectators, the 20 single-handed sailors set sail with their Open 60s on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in moderate winds of eight knots off Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coast.

The 18 men and two women will cover around 23,700 nautical miles (43,900 kilometers) before they - hopefully all of them - tie up again in Les Sables. The route of what is arguably the toughest regatt for single-handed sailors takes them south of all the major capes. In the field, as the only German-speaking sailor, the Viennese Norbert Sedlacek. "I can hardly wait to be out at sea and face this great challenge," said the Austrian shortly before he left the jetty in the harbor of the small fishing village with his aluminum "brother".

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Vincent Riou PRB

Before the 20 athletes could escape to the open sea, however, they had to sail a six-mile course off the coast in order to be able to present the sponsors again in front of an audience. They were not only admired by the 300,000 fans ashore. They also said goodbye to around 1,000 visitor and press boats - amid the roaring noise of countless helicopters from Les Sables d'Olonne.

The French Vincent Riou was the first to cross the starting line for the extreme race with his "PRB" (Michel Desjoyeaux winning boat in 2000). Shortly afterwards the American Bruce Schwab followed with "Ocean Planet" and the Swiss Dominique Wavre with "Temeno". It was also Riou who led the field around 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. a few hundred meters behind him was Jean-Pierre Dick with his new Bruce Farr building "Virbac-Paprec". With another two miles, Mike Golding (new "Ecover"), the big favorite of the race, followed.

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The first important waypoint will be Cape Finistère for sailors. If the wind does not let up, it should be reached after a little more than two days.

Positions on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. (top ten)

1. Vincent Riou / "PRB", 23626 nautical miles to destination 2. Jean-Pierre Dick / "Virbac-Paprec", 0.3 nm back3. Mike Golding / "Ecover", 2.1 nm back4. Roland Jourdain / "Sill Véolia", 3.0 nm back5. Conrad Humphreys / "Hellomoto", 3.1 nm back6. Jean Le Cam / "Bonduelle", 3.8 nm back7. Joé Seeten / "Arcelor Dunkerque", 4.4 nm back8. Alex Thomson / "Hugo Boss", 4.5 nm back9. Sébastien Josse / "VMI", 4.7 nm back10. Hervé Laurent / "UUDS", 5.6 nm back

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