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Vendée Globe

Desjoyeaux’s day in Les Sables

New record in 84 days 03 hours 09 minutes 08 seconds

dimanche 1er février 2009Information Vendée Globe

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This sudnay, Michel Desjoyeaux has won his second Vendée Globe. The 60’ monohull Foncia has crossed the finishing ling od the round the world race at 4:11 pm (french hour), after 84 days 03 hours 09 minutes and 08 seconds at sea (official time). This is his second win in the single handed round the world race after his firt one in 2000/2001 when he was steering PRB (now named Roxy and skippered by Brit Sam Davies). The "Professor" has given a new leson in the art of managing a 60’ monohull around the world. Congratulations Mich’Desj !

Sailing a course distance of 28303 miles, averaging 14.02 knots, French solo skipper Michel Desjoyeaux has shattered the Vendée Globe solo round the world race record Record #sailingrecord today on his way to becoming the first solo skipper ever to win the solo non stop around the world race twice.

After winning the race in 2000-01 on PRB, eclipsing the young emerging British skipper Ellen MacArthur by 1 day 28 minutes, Desjoyeaux joined the 30 strong field for this race, the biggest entry ever round the world race in sailing history, as one of the clear favourites.

“Incredible with the sun coming out. Magic ! Even if I experienced this 8 years ago. Still don’t understand how I’m here like this. I just tried to sail my boat as well as I could . A race is won largely before it begins with experience and preparation. 80% before, 20% during the race by working hard. Didn’t need to push too hard, wasn’t stressed at any point, and it seemed very easy. Even 25th December with rudder problem I dealt with it. I didn’t sit there worrying about it.”

From successful odyssey into big racing multihulls, Desjoyeaux returned to monohulls in 2007 when he won the highly competitive Solitaire du Figaro Solitaire du Figaro #LaSolitaire , going on to win the Transat The Transat #thetransat #ostar Vabre in late 2007 on his return to the IMOCA Imoca #IMOCA Open 60 class in which the Vendée Globe is contested.

Desjoyeaux crossed the finish on Sunday 1st February at 15:11.08 GMT , after 84 days 03 hours 09 minutes of racing. Foncia completed the race in twenty knots of breeze under sunny skies, greeted by a massive armada of spectator boats before being warmly welcomed by huge crowds who gathered along the waterfront and harbour area of Les Sables d’Olonne, where the race departed at 1202 GMT November 9th 2008.

The gruelling race has taken a high toll of the 30 skippers who started the non stop solo round the world race. As Desjoyeaux finished this afternoon, nine are climbing northwards in the Atlantic ocean while some 7,700 miles behind two are expected to pass Cape Horn and leave the Pacific tomorrow. Eighteen skippers have been forced to abandon. In early December Yann Eliès had to be evacuated off his Generali when he sustained a broken femur while working on the bow of his boat, and Jean Le Cam was rescued when he capsized off Cape Horn by Vincent Riou, the 2004-5 winner of the race.


Desjoyeaux’s win in figures

- Les Sables-Equator : 13d15h 41’ (behind leader Loïck Peyron by 1day 06h 43’)
- Les Sables-Cape of Good Hope : 27d 00h 34’ (behind leader Sébastien Josse : 4h 56’)
- Les Sables-Cape Leeuwin : 37d 07h 23’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 50’)
- Les Sables-Dateline/Antimeridian : 43d23h 33’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 2h 55’)
- Les Sables-Cape Horn : 56d 15j 08’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 8h 50’)
- Les Sables-Equator : 71d17h 12’ (ahead of Roland Jourdain : 3days 05h 52’)
- Finish : Les Sables-Les Sables : 84d 03h 09’08’’ (ahead of 2nd Roland Joudain : 1345 miles, 3rd Armel Le Cléac’h : 1632 miles), average12,3 for the actual race course.

Desjoyeaux 2008 compared with Vendée Globe 2004

- Les Sables-Equator 2004 : 10d 12h 13’ (Michel Desjoyeaux : 3d 03h 28’ behind)
- Les Sables-Cape of Good Hope 2004 : 24d 02h 18’ (Michel Desjoyeaux : 2d 22h 16’ behind)
- Les Sables-Cape Leeuwin 2004 : 36d 11h 48’ (Michel Desjoyeaux : 19h 35’behind )
- Les Sables-Cape Horn 2004 : 56d17h 13’ (Michel Desjoyeaux : 2h 05’ ahead)
- Les Sables-Equator 2004 : 72d 13h 58’ (Michel Desjoyeaux : 20h 46’ ahead)
- Les Sables-Les Sables 2004 : 87d 10h 47’ (Michel Desjoyeaux breaks record by : 3d 07h 39’)



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