Vendée Globe: Skippers, boats, potential - who will win the 10th Vendée Globe?

We'll try anyway, in all due brevity. But with 40 starters, the following is still a small novel. So: off to the sofa, don't forget your tea or wine, and we're already looking forward to animated discussions about the fact that there's no way this or that person will end up here or there.

The top 10 according to YACHT - and which strengths characterise them

1st Charlie Dalin

• Boat name: "Macif Santé Prévoyance"
• Design/year of construction: Guillaume Verdier/2023
• Greatest success: Winner New York - Vendée

The phenomenon! Sails solo faster than others with a crew and has almost inexhaustible mental resources. As a yacht designer, Charlie also masters the complex technical part of Imoca development. Although he had to take a break for several months due to a head injury on stage 5 of the Ocean Race, he is back on top form. Hard to beat without mishaps, so for us the Top favourite

2nd Yoann Richomme

• Boat name: "Paprec -Arkéa"
• Design/year of construction: Finot-Koch/2023
• Greatest success: Winner Transat CIC

Resembles Charlie Dalin in many of his outstanding talents. He is also a constructor and can work his magic on the course. His successes in the Class 40 are legendary, for example at the Route du Rhum, when he equalised several hours of stop penalties within just two days due to an early start. He also has a boat suitable for rough water with his Imoca, designed by Finot-Conq and Antoine Koch. But this is his first Vendée, his first time in the Southern Ocean.

3 Thomas Ruyant

• Boat name: "Vulnerable"
• Design/year of construction: Finot-Koch/2023
• Greatest success: Winner TJV / Route du Rhum

The most experienced of the top 3 is competing in the Vendée for the third time, with a sister ship from Yoann Richomme. A proven fighter, unaffected by doubts or fears, who keeps up the pace even when others take the pressure off. An uncomfortable opponent who sails smarter than he did in his younger, wilder years and is now running the Imocas' first two-boat campaign with his own racing team TR Racing - together with Sam Goodchild, who we also see far ahead.

4th Jérémie Beyou

• Boat name: "Charal 2"
• Design/year of construction: Sam Manuard/2022
• Greatest success: Azimuth Challenge winner

He wants to know. Jérémie Beyou is entering his fifth Vendée with the most innovative boat, which flies more stable than others when the conditions are right thanks to its deep V rudder. He has finished on the podium in almost all the preparatory regattas, but has yet to win a major race. Already had a contract with Sam Manuard for the construction of the current Imoca before the last Vendée Globe had even started - therefore the longest preparation time of all new foilers and an experienced, well-funded team. Will it come through without damage this time? If so, then far or even right at the front.

5 Boris Herrmann

• Boat name: "Malizia-Seaexplorer 3"
• Design/year of construction: VPLP/2022
• Greatest success: 2nd place Transat/NY Vendée

Apart from a small weakness in medium winds and flat seas, Boris' VPLP design, which has been further developed and lightened since the Ocean Race, is made for the Vendée and is also tried and tested and robust. He himself is also an extremely experienced sailor in high latitudes. If he can overcome his doubts and the feeling of loneliness, about which he is one of the few top skippers to speak openly, then everything will fall into place! Go, Boris, go!

• Boris Herrmann on his opponents - "Almost perfect preparation"
• Before sailing around the world - Boris Herrmann explains the modifications to "Malizia - Seaexplorer"

6 Sam Davies

• Boat name: "Initiatives-Cœur"
• Design/year of construction: Sam Manuard/2022
• Greatest success: 3rd place Transat CIC

After the Southern Ocean leg of the Ocean Race last year on Paul Meilhat's "Biotherm", the British sailor, who lives in France, wanted to cancel her Vendée plans - so shocked was the incredibly experienced skipper by the brutal movements in the swell and the many technical problems that arose as a result. But she has regained confidence, fun - and bite. With her Manuard design, she also has a very good and fast boat.

• The courageous six - the Vendée Globe is so feminine

7 Sam Goodchild

In four regattas last year, the Briton sailed to third place four times - not a bad start in the Imoca class. This earned him the title of Imoca Globe Champion, as I said: in his debut year! Sam skippers the former boat of his team boss Thomas Ruyant, a broad-bodied Verdier design from 2019, which is also called "Vulnerable" - which could cause confusion on the tracker if Ruyant and he sail in the leading group.

• Boat name: "Vulnerable"
• Design/year of construction: Guillaume Verdier/2019
• Greatest success: Winner Imoca Globe Series 2023

8 Nicolas Lunven

• Boat name: "Holcim - PRB"
• Design/year of construction: Guillaume Verdier/2022
• Greatest success: Two-time winner of the Solitaire du Figaro (2009; 2017)

He inherited the boat and sponsor from Kevin Escoffier, who led the Ocean Race for a long time. A recognised good basis for top places. Nico, who came third in the Ocean Race with Team Malizia, is a difficult opponent because he is incredibly clever; together with Yoann Richomme, he is also the best navigator in the field. His ability to make smart decisions even under sleep deprivation and pressure is one of his greatest strengths. Quite a few people believe he is capable of finishing on the podium. We do too!

9 Justine Mettraux

• Boat name: "Teamwork - Team SNEF"
• Design/year of construction: VPLP/2018
• Greatest success: Two-time Ocean Race winner (2017/18; 2022/23)

The quiet but strong Swiss woman, winner of the Ocean Race 2023 with "11th Hour Racing" and otherwise highly experienced at sea, could be the best woman at the finish. She is at a slight technical disadvantage compared to Sam Davies and doesn't quite have their experience. However, her "Teamwork Team SNEF" is the former "Charal" from 2018, a very well-developed VPLP design.

10th Yannick Bestaven

• Boat name: "Maitre Coq V"
• Design/year of construction: Guillaume Verdier/2022
• Greatest success: Winner Vendée Globe 2020/21

The somewhat surprising 2021 Vendée winner has so far failed to back up his status as defending champion with action. A cycling accident set him back in his preparations for months. But he is now feeling confident again. His best result with the new Verdier-Imoca "Maître CoQ V" was 6th place at the Transat CIC this spring. Is there still something to come? Quite conceivable!

Good for surprises: Top 11-40

It has never been more difficult to weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of the skippers and their boats. That's why every form guide must remain a rough estimate. Nevertheless, we have laid out the cards. Here are the 30 participants who are not among the favourites - and yet, or precisely because of this, could help shape the single-handed race around the world:

TOP 11-20

• Paul Meilhat, "Biotherm": Burns, sails strongly, but has a boat that struggles in the Southern Ocean and has not shone with reliability so far. Its budget is also one of the tightest of the top teams.
• Louis Burton, "Bureau Vallée": Good man, enormous will, lots of courage, fast boat. Third in the previous Vendée Globe, he is determined to get back on the podium. Why don't we see him further ahead? He had a lot of breakage in the preparatory regattas, including having his mast come down twice, which cost him a lot of training time. But he wants to and will put all that behind him. Man to watch!
• Maxim Sorel, "V&B Monbana -Mayenne": He was one of the best in the Class 40 for several seasons and has been sailing Imoca for six years. With his 2022 boat, built by Mer Concept, he has a good, fast base. However, the Verdier design is not considered optimal in waves.
• Sebastien Simon, "Groupe Dubreuil": Four years ago, the Frenchman had one of the most extreme designs with "Arkéa Paprec", but it was never able to realise its full potential and ultimately caused the sponsor to turn its back on it. Then an opportunity arose with the purchase of the winning boat from The Ocean Race (the former "11th Hour Racing"), which Seb seized. However, he lacks Southern Ocean experience and his Verdier design tends to undercut in waves and wind.
• Benjamin Dutreux, "Guyot": Sailing for his future after his team's performance in the Ocean Race failed to impress. The boat, built in 2015, once belonged to Alex Thomson, who finished second in the 2016/17 Vendée, then served as a training yacht for 11th Hour before their new build was completed. It has been further developed, including with new foils, and is quite fast. Ergonomically, however, it is not up to date, nor is its design. You can trust Ben to give it his all this time. And he has to.
• Damien Séguin, "Groupe Apicil": The man who sails without a left hand was one of the surprises of the 2020/21 Vendée Globe, where he finished a strong seventh. He won five World Championship titles and three Paralympic medals before switching to the Imoca class. So he's an ace sailor! What's more, he never loses his sense of humour, even when he's in trouble. Another great asset: his current boat, which won the Vendée under Yannick Bestaven and is now even more powerful with new foils. In the qualifiers, Damien's placings fluctuated between 5th and 15th place, and we expect him to be somewhere in between when he returns to Les Sables d'Olonne in January.
• Clarisse Cremer, "L'Occitane": Top boat, top team. Clarisse, who holds the record for the fastest Vendée finish of any woman to date and finished 12th on her debut four years ago, had a shaky preparation. Her original sponsor Banque Populaire booted her out due to her pregnancy and the uncertainty of whether she would make the qualifying. She was then placed with Alex Thomson, who made his racing team available to her. Her boat is the former "Macif", with which Charlie Dalin became First Ship Home at the last Vendée - a strong base!
• Pip Hare, "Medallia": The Brit wowed fans last time with her unflappable nature and spirited performance - and at times made them forget that she was sailing one of the oldest boats. Now everything is different: Pip has bought the former "Bureau Vallée", which set the course record in 2016 as "Banque Populaire VIII" under Armel le C`léach and still holds the win today. And she didn't stop there: new foils, a significantly larger team and the help of probably the best preparer imaginable bring her potentially close to the top 10.
• Isabel Joschke, "MACSF": She is the master of strong wind passages and a genius at making a lot out of a little. The German-French sailor, known to friends as "Isa", had bad luck with the keel hydraulics last time and had to abandon the race after passing Cape Horn. This time she is competing with the same boat, which has not undergone any major modifications. Nevertheless, she is a force to be reckoned with.
• Alan Roura, "Hublot: At 31, the Swiss is one of the youngest skippers in the field, and yet he is already sailing his third Vendée Globe! With the ex-"Hugo Boss", he has a potentially fast boat, which admittedly required a lot of familiarisation and adaptation. He has always finished between 10th and 20th in qualifying and is currently only 23rd in the Imoca class season rankings.

TOP 21-30

• Jean Le Cam, "Armor Lux": The veteran and oldie. Jean "Le Roi", this original, lived through the early days of the French deep-sea scene. He is 65, time to hang up his oilskins. But he wants to give it another go. Like Eric Bellion, he sails one of the two new non-foilers designed by scow-bow pioneer David Raison. As both have only competed in a few races and have had a few breakages, nobody knows the true form of the boats. Le Cam's is beyond doubt: last time he was fourth. That is unlikely to happen this time because the competition and the performance of the foilers are simply so much greater. But we would like to wish him another surprise success!
• Giancarlo Pedote "Prysmian": Forza Italia! Giancarlo is a solid skipper with a boat that has been heavily reworked since the last Vendée Globe. He cut the bow and subsequently built a kind of scow-bow construction out of it. He will hardly be able to repeat his eighth place in the 2020/21 solo race. But he is one of the strongest in the midfield.
• Romain Attanasio, "Fortinet: Romain, ex-partner of Sam Davies, has taken over Boris Herrmann's previous Malizia. It is still fast, but difficult to sail in rough seas. His mast broke during the Azimuth Challenge. Thanks to crowdfunding, it is afloat again. Could also end up in the top 20 if everything goes smoothly.
• Eric Bellion, "Stand as One": Sister ship of Jean Le Cam's "Armor-Lux", i.e. without foils, but with lift-generating centreboards and a powerful scow bow. Raison's designs have proven to be extremely fast in the Minis and Class 40s. If Eric succeeds in realising this potential, he will be able to compete further ahead, just like Le Cam. Extensive reinforcements in the hull are intended to protect the boat from structural damage. The 48-year-old believes in his chances and does not want to sail for the finish, but for the best possible position.
• Kojiro Shiraishi, "DMG Mori": Koji, who enjoys star status at home in Japan, is facing his third Vendée. On the last one, his big ripped to shreds after just one week. This was followed by an Apollo 13 mission, during which he spent five days mending his sail with an angle grinder, cordless drill, sika and carbon rods - and actually made it to the finish line! That was his most important goal. This time he can start with more freedom because he is already a finisher. The boat, a sister ship to Justine Mettraux's "Teamwork - Team SNEF", is good for the top 20, possibly more.
• Arnaud Boissières, "La Mie Caline": Four finishes in a row! Someone has to imitate him first. Cali, as friends and fans call him, has great entertainer potential. His boat is a little older, a VPLP Verdier design from 2010 that previously belonged to Sam Davies.
• Tanguy Le Tourquet, "Lazare": Little known internationally, Clarisse Cremer's husband is recognised as a capable solo skipper. Whenever and wherever he goes to the starting line, he is one of the best Imoca sailors on boats without foils. That will be the case again now. His "Lazare" is the former "Groupe Apicil" of Damien Séguin.
• Benjamin Ferré, "Monnoyeur": Tanguy Le Tourquet is similarly strong. The adventurer only came to ocean racing seven years ago, won the title of best rookie at the MiniTransat in 2019 (3rd place in the series ranking) and was supported by former champion Jean Le Cam. His boat is the ex-"Banque Populaire X", with which Clarisse Cremer sailed her first Vendée Globe - a light, fast VPLP-Verdier design from 2010. Something is possible!
• Violette Dorange, "Devenir": If you didn't think the tenth Vendée Globe was the most diverse yet, here's further proof. At 23 years old, Violette is the Youngest in the field. She always was: at 17, she was the youngest woman ever to start the MiniTransat. Before that, she had already crossed the English Channel (at 15!) and the Strait of Gibraltar (at 16) in the Opti. In the 420 she was one of the top French sailors. And she also impressed straight away in the Imocas. Her naturalness and freshness make her one of the social media stars in the field. Her boat is the former "Yes we Cam", a Farr design from 2006, which she is guaranteed to get the most out of.
• Manuel Cousin, "Coup de Pouce": The 57-year-old lives by the motto: first work, then pleasure. After almost 30 years in the automotive industry, Manu quit and went sailing: first Mini, then Class 40, now premier class. With a small budget, but a lot of passion, he has further developed his 2007 boat and, according to his own statements, has gained a tonne of weight, partly due to the changed measurement regulations for stability. That's a lot, a lot! And a good basis for Manu's sporting goal: he wants to finish in the top 20!

TOP 31-40

• Conrad Colman, "MS Amlin": Kiwi, mini-budget, lion heart. If there is a starter of hearts, then he is way ahead. Conrad Colman can actually do everything: weather, navigation, sails, trimming, tinkering, but above all: taking the fans with him! If he were French, he would have found a solvent sponsor long ago. As a New Zealander, on the other hand, he finds it difficult because solo sailing is somehow not so popular down under. What a shame!
• Guirec Soudée, "Freelance.com": Isn't that the one with the chicken? Yes, he is! Guirec Soudée has achieved a certain fame as a circumnavigator with poultry on board. He was 21 at the start and 26 at the end, twice finishing in pole position. But he has also crossed the Atlantic in a rowing boat. Now it's Vendée, without the chicken. Unyielding, funny, good! Definitely a candidate for the top 30 or better if things go well!
• Fabrice Amédeo, "Nexans Wewise": The former journalist actually wanted to compete on a foiling boat, but it sank after a battery fire in the Atlantic. Now he sails an Owen Clarke design from 2007, the original "Ecover" by Mike Golding. Not so much to gain with that. Currently in 36th place in the Imoca Globe Series. In 2016, the experienced skipper finished eleventh in the Vendée. Arriving will be the main goal this time.
• Louis Duc, "Fives Group": An exciting type of character: Louis was an entrepreneur before he dedicated himself to ocean sports. The 41-year-old from Normandy appreciates challenges, which is why he didn't shy away from buying and rebuilding the old, burnt-out "PRB" from 2007. He should not be underestimated!
• Oliver Heer, "Tut gut": Third and funniest Swiss in the field, alongside Justine Mettraux and Alan Roura, which shows once again how strong the Swiss are in sailing! Ollie worked as Alex Thomson's boat captain for a long time and thus came to the Imoca class. He was the last to qualify for the Vendée after a marathon of repairs in the Transat CIC, which saw him finish outside the classification. Great guy!
• Antoine Cornic, "Human Imobilier": Will-be type. The ex-Judo champion and former pub landlord had already caught the sailing bug in 2001, sailed his first MiniTransat in 2001, then took a break for 16 years and only got back into sailing in 2017, where he had left off. Three years ago, he then bought one of the oldest Imocas still sailing, an Owen Clarke design from 2005. Let's see what he can get out of it. If in doubt, he'll just become a landlord again.
• Sebastien Marsset, "Foussier": You don't need to know it, but you shouldn't underestimate it either! Sebastien has been sailing anything fast for a good ten years - from mini to ultim-trimaran. From a sporting point of view, he is in top physical condition. In the last third of the field, you can expect a lot from him and his Farr design from 2006.
• Denis van Weynbergh, "D'Ieteren Group": The late-blooming Belgian is pursuing a try-hard project on the former boat of Hungarian Nandor Fa. As a PR entrepreneur, marketing is the least of his problems. And he is not lacking in ocean experience either. He came to the Imoca class via Mini and Class 40. He is currently 26th in the season rankings.
• Szabolcs Weöres, "New Europe: Six-time Ironman finisher - wow! Szabi will certainly not be lacking in stamina, and hardly in ability either. He has a classic dinghy career behind him (420, FD, Soling) and later worked as a rigger for the German-South African America's Cup team Shosholza. Now it's Vendée, where the Hungarian wants to slip into Nandor Fas' sea boots. Let's see, it could be something!
• Jingkun Xu, "Singchain": He is to China what Kojiro is to Japan - a much-acclaimed sailing star. Like Damien Seguin, he is missing his left hand, but he is unimpressed by this. Xu has already competed in the Paralympics as well as in numerous big boat regattas. He sails the "Brit Air", built by Multiplast in 2007 and designed by Finot Conq. He has formulated his goal in the title of his biography: "Humble Dream". Arriving would be like a victory for the 35-year-old.