The 2020-2021 Vendee Globe Race set off last Sunday from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. The 24,000 nautical miles race, sailed every four years, is billed as the world’s greatest singlehanded, non-stop, yacht race. Notwithstanding the impact of the global pandemic, this year’s race is notable for attracting the largest fleet in the history of the race. There are also more woman skippers than ever before, and even one couple sailing in competition with each other and the rest of the fleet.

Fleet Size and Makeup

Thirty-three IMOCA 60 (“Open 60”) sailing yachts crossed the starting line, the largest fleet in the history of the race which began in 1989 when 13 boats participating. 

The IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association ) 60 is an “open design” which is to say that as long as the designers adhere to certain basic restrictions, including length, draft, and stability, among others, they are free to be as creative with the boat design as they like. 

The boats in the fleet range from the latest designs built within the last two years, such as Hugo Boss, built in 2019, sailed by Alex Thomson to the Medallia, built in 2000, sailed by Pip Hare. 

The most dramatic difference across the fleet are the number of boats with foils. The foils produce lift which can make the boats 10-15% faster in beam winds. This year more than half of the fleet is fitted with foils, while less than half have straight daggerboards. In the last running of the race, less than a quarter of the racers used foils.

More Female Skippers

Among the 33 skippers in the race are six women—the most in the race’s history. The oldest is 51-year-old Miranda Merron, while the youngest is 30-year-old Clarisse Crémer. Only 46-year-old Samantha (Sam) Davies is a Vendée Globe veteran—this edition will be her third attempt at the trophy. 

A woman has never won, though  Dame Ellen MacArthur finished in second place in the 2000-2001 race. Davies just missed the podium, coming in fourth in the 2008-2009 race.

This year, these fearless captains are presenting a serious challenge for their male counterparts. “It is a great sign of the evolution of gender equality in professional sailing,” explains Davies to National Geographic, of the number of women competing in the 2020 edition. “I have a lot of respect for the other five women—they’re all amazing, experienced sailors.”

The Couple Competing Against Each Other

In addition to her previous experience in the Vendee Globe Race, Sam Davies also has the distinction of being half of the first couple ever competing against each other. Davies’ life partner, Romain Attanasio, is sailing Pure-Best Western in the race while Davies is the skipper of Initiatives-cœur.

Davies and Attanasio are the parents of a son, Ruben. In previous Vendee Globe races, they have alternated who sailed and who stayed home with their son. Davies sailed in the 2012-2013 race while Attanasio competed in the 2016-2017 race. This year their son is 9-years-old and they decided that he is old enough to stay with Davies’ parents for the roughly four-month duration of the race. 

Right now, the expectation is that Davies sailing the 2010 built foiling Initiatives-cœur may have an advantage in boat speed over Attanasio in the 2007 built straight dagger board Pure-Best Western. That being said, anything is possible in a 24,000 nautical mile single-handed race around the globe. So far in the race, Davies is eighth and Attanasio eleventh in the standing.