Record-breaking 2020 Vendée Globe
Yannick Bestaven aboard Maître COQ IV won the 2020 Vendée Globe after one of the tightest finals in the race’s history. The French skipper crossed the finish line at 0319 on 28 January, behind Charlie Dalin and Louis Burton, but took the top podium position after his race time was amended to 80d 03h 44m 46s following his part in the rescue of fellow competitor Kevin Escoffier from the Southern Ocean in November.
Bestaven, 48, was awarded 10 hours 15 minutes time compensation by the Vendée Globe jury, while German skipper Boris Herrmann, 39, and French sailor Jean Le Cam, 61, were awarded 6 hours and 16 hours 15 minutes respectively. Bestaven said his win was ‘a childhood dream’.
Dalin, 36, aboard Apivia took second place with a time of 80d 06h 15m 47s. Louis Burton, 35, on Bureau Vallee 2 came third with a race time of 80d 10h 25m 12s, while Jean Le Cam placed fourth with a time of 80d 13h 44m 55s. All the top three boats had foils.
The 2020 race saw 33 skippers crossing the start line – the highest of any edition. Other records also fell.
French skipper Clarisse Cremer smashed Ellen Macarthur’s 21-year-old record of 94 days and four hours for the fastest female solo skipper to sail around the world in a monohull. Cremer, 31, crossed the line after 87d 02h 24m 25s. She was the first female entrant home and claimed 12th place overall.
The first British skipper to cross the finish line was Pip Hare, 47, with a time of 95d 11h 37m 30s, placing her 19th. She was sailing one of the oldest boats in the race, the 21-year-old IMOCA 60 Medallia.
Hare shared every high and low, winning her legions of fans with her honest and enthusiastic reports; her passion for competing in the race, a long-held dream, was infectious.
Hare faced plenty of challenges during her Vendée – the loss of a hydro generator, a broken wind sensor, leaving her with no reliable wind information, and a cracked port rudder stock, which she replaced.
Speaking after crossing the finish line, Hare said: ‘I am really, really happy.[..] I made mistakes but I have learned from them and the main thing is I could see where I made the mistakes and where I can improve. I can’t believe the race I have had. I never thought it would be like this. I never thought I would be with foiling boats. It has been incredible.’
Hare has also announced that she plans to compete in the 2024 race.