4 sources · updated 24 Oct 2026
The Vendée Globe grew out of an idea by Philippe Jeantot, two-time winner of the BOC Challenge, who announced a solo non-stop round-the-world race in January 1988. Funding was hard to find and was finally provided mainly by the Vendée département, the town of Les Sables-d'Olonne, Crédit Agricole and Fleury Michon, hence the name "Vendée Globe Challenge".
The first edition left Les Sables-d'Olonne on 26 November 1989 and was won by Titouan Lamazou. The race has since been held every four years for 60-foot monohulls, soon governed by the IMOCA rule, on a course that rounds Antarctica eastwards and returns to Les Sables-d'Olonne.
At the end of 2002 Jeantot's organising company went into liquidation; the race was saved and taken over by SAEM Vendée, majority-owned by public bodies, which has run it since the 2004-2005 edition.
The winning time has fallen sharply, from 109 days in 1989 to 64 days 19 h 22 min 49 s for Charlie Dalin in 2024-2025, thanks to boat development (canting keels, closed cockpits, foils). Michel Desjoyeaux is the only two-time winner and Jean Le Cam has started six editions. The fleet grew from 13 starters in 1989 to 40 in 2024.