Facing your fears is something that challenges every sailor, but none more so than those taking on single-handed offshore racing. Nick Moloney is a social animal and thrives on being…
Vendée Globe: Everything you need to know about the world’s toughest sailing race
Vendée Globe 2020: Pip Hare on preparing for the world’s toughest race
It would be easy to assume the toughest challenge of the Vendée Globe Race is racing a 60ft IMOCA alone, battling the elements, sleep deprived and exhausted. But for me,…
Pete Goss transatlantic: Vendee Globe racer embraces life in the slow lane
Out of the blackness a breaking crest makes itself known with an alien glow of tumbled phosphorescence and roars past. This is not what we expected when we set off…
Hugo Boss: Sailing on board Alex Thomson’s £6million foiling machine
“What’s my speed? What’s the speed? What’s the boatspeed now?!” Alex Thomson hollers into a microphone. Thomson, at the helm of his brand new Hugo Boss, is pumped. As we…
Charal: On board the radical IMOCA 60 that takes foiling to the next level
In St Malo for the start of the Route du Rhum in early November, every inch of the IMOCA 60 pontoons was packed with fans trying to get a close…
Alex Thomson profile: Understanding the man behind the suit
Everyone knows Alex Thomson. He’s not only one of the most immediately recognisable IMOCA 60 skippers, but one of the few sailors who have managed to transcend the sport and…
Volvo Ocean Race confirm next race will be held in IMOCA 60s – but opinions are divided among crews
After months of speculation – Yachting World broke the story than the IMOCA 60 class were in the final stages of negotiation with the Volvo Ocean Race back in April…
Vendée Globe IMOCA 60 designs could be adopted for the next Volvo Ocean Race
Final negotiations are underway between the IMOCA class and the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) to adopt the IMOCA 60 as the design the next fully crewed round the world race.…
Conrad Colman’s Vendee Globe story in his own words – “I gave this race my all”
Carbon fibre race yachts are noisy beasts. Sharp creaks from the sheets in the cockpit, constant thumping bass notes from the hull slamming against the oncoming waves and the staccato…
How Alex Thomson nearly won the Vendée Globe 2016-17
In the piercing cold morning of 18 January, Armel Le Cléac’h was grasping a 34-mile lead in the Vendée Globe, racing upwind towards the Scilly Isles. A wind shift to…
Alex Thomson hailed by French for ‘magnificent 2nd’ in Vendée Globe but admits “It was brutal”
Alex Thomson finished the Vendée Globe solo round the world race in the biting cold of dawn today to take 2nd place in a time of 74d 19h 35m. Like the…
Dream finish for Armel Le Cléac’h as he conquers Vendée Globe race and pays tribute to rival Alex Thomson
France gained a new hero this afternoon when solo sailor Armel Le Cléac’h crossed the finish line of Vendée Globe race in Les Sables d’Olonne. It was third time lucky on this great…
Alex Thomson fighting exhaustion as electronics problems threaten Vendée Globe hopes
British sailor Alex Thomson has a fight on his hands to try to make up the 34-mile deficit on the leader of the Vendée Globe race – and the main…
Alex Thomson and Armel Le Cléach battle for Vendée Globe record
When François Gabart won the Vendée Globe solo round the world race in 2013 at his first attempt, he set a superb new record of 78d 2h and many said it…
Alex Thomson sets new 24-hour speed record as he goes all-out in bid to overtake Vendée Globe leader
Vendée Globe racer Alex Thomson has set a new 24-hour solo monohull sailing record, sailing an incredible 536.81 nautical miles in 24 hours. Watch Alex talking about the record here:…
Vendée Globe showdown: can Alex Thomson beat his great French rival Armel Le Cléac’h?
After over 23,000 miles of racing, the two leaders of the Vendée Globe solo round the world race are today just over 100 miles apart. Armel Le Cléac’h has led…
What’s behind the design of Alex Thomson’s Vendée Globe racer Hugo Boss?
The 2016/7 Vendée Globe race will go down as one dominated by two very different sailors, Frenchman Armel Le Cléac’h and Briton Alex Thomson in two critically different yachts. There is no…
Armel le Cléac’h, ‘The Jackal’: we profile the secretive leader of the Vendée Globe
In his home country, Armel Le Cléac’h’s triumph in the Vendée Globe is seen as the right result. If ever hard work and persistence paid off in sport, this win…
‘Exceptionally violent’ collision is causing Vendée Globe sailor’s boat to split apart
Solo sailor Thomas Ruyant is in a perilous situation, with his IMOCA 60 cracking up like an egg shell and splitting apart. The 35-year-old Frenchman has sent back these shocking…
“Foil controls are needed – the loads are massive” warns Vendée Globe sailor Seb Josse
Leading French offshore sailor Sébastien Josse says he believes that designers and builders need to develop improved control systems for foils to be fit for extreme ocean conditions. The solo sailor…