Vendée Globe 2028
David Chelly, January 17, 2026
The Vendée Globe is the solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world race, held every four years in 60-foot IMOCA monohulls. For the 2028-2029 edition, the start is set in Les Sables d'Olonne with a fleet limited to 40 boats, which makes qualification just as decisive as the race itself.
Dates and start
The grand start is scheduled for Sunday, November 12, 2028 at 1:02 p.m. off Les Sables d'Olonne, from Port Olona. The race then continues over several weeks, with the first finishers expected in early 2029 and the last finishers arriving later depending on weather and damage.
Course
The route follows the classic logic of a round-the-world voyage via the south, going down the Atlantic, crossing the Indian Ocean then the Pacific, and returning via the Atlantic. Skippers round the three legendary capes, Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, in areas known for rough seas, cold, and successive depressions. The announced distance is about 45,000 km, or around 24,000 nautical miles depending on the edition.
Boats and technology
The Vendée Globe is raced in IMOCA class, 18.28 m monohulls designed for the open sea. The recent generation is largely foiling, with appendages that reduce drag and allow very high average speeds to be maintained, at the cost of greater demands on reliability and onboard energy management. Performance does not rest on pure speed alone, as the ability to preserve the boat and the skipper over time remains a major factor.
2028 qualification
The 2028 system places emphasis on solo experience and consistency over the 2025-2028 IMOCA cycle. A central requirement is to complete at least one Grade 2 solo race on the IMOCA calendar, on the boat intended for the Vendée Globe, finishing within a time no greater than twice that of the winner. Selection is also based on the IMOCA Globe Series ranking, which structures access to the limited fleet.
Applications open on February 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. and close on September 10, 2027 at 12:00 p.m. The process then includes a formal registration phase starting September 17, 2027, closing September 8, 2028 at 12:00 p.m. A deposit of 20,000 euros is required at the application stage, and the minimum age required is 18 on the day of the start.
Prize money and rankings
The total prize money announced for the Vendée Globe 2028-2029 reaches 1 million euros including tax. The winner receives 250,000 euros including tax, the runner-up 155,000 euros including tax and third place 115,000 euros including tax, followed by a decreasing scale down to tenth place. Beyond that, the remaining balance is shared among skippers ranked after tenth place, with a cap of 10,000 euros including tax per skipper, and a mechanism to pay the balance to the event's foundation if too few skippers finish.
How to follow the race
Official coverage runs through the Vendée Globe website, with real-time tracking, rankings, positions and video content. The organization's and teams' social media accounts round out the coverage, while broadcasters and sports media provide regular recaps and special programs throughout the key phases of the race. For an on-site experience, Les Sables d'Olonne remains the essential gathering point before the start, and again for the finishes.