Charlie Dalin, 2nd in the Vendée-Arctique, Thomas Ruyant 3rd, Sam Davies 4th, Kevin Escoffier 5th

Charlie Dalin finishes 2nd in the Vendée-Arctique- les Sables d’Olonne, 50 minutes and 04 seconds behind the winner Jérémie Beyou on Charal.

Very at ease on his new Verdier design launched in August 2019 and with which he took the win in the Transat Jacques Vabre (co-skipper Yann Eliès) straight out of the box, Charlie was participating in his first solo Imoca race in this Vendée – Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne. Neck and neck with Jérémie Beyou (Charal) since Fastnet lighthouse, the 36-year-old skipper from Le Havre demonstrated perfect control of his flying machine and also the demanding weather parameters on this North Atlantic course. Charlie was the skipper most frequently at the head of the race (173 times out of 480 rankings) and had the longest run in the top spot (1d and 15 mn between 12 and 13 July). Victory narrowly escaped this double offshore racing champion in the Figaro (2014 and 2016), an exercise in which he excels. In the next Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin is unquestionably one of the firm favourites for victory.

Thomas Ruyant, third in the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d’Olonne

The skipper of LinkedOut crossed the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne this Tuesday 14 July at 21h 54’ 12’’ (French time) after 10 days, 06 hours, 24 minutes and 12 seconds of racing. He covered 3,362.42 miles at an average of 13.65 knots, which equates to 11.39 knots over the theoretical course (2,807 miles). Thomas Ruyant finishes 3rd in the Vendée-Arctique- les Sables d’Olonne, 01 hours 10 minutes and 04 seconds behind the winner Jérémie Beyou on Charal.

On his 2019 Verdier design, which is ultra quick downwind in breezy conditions, Thomas Ruyant, 39, is a sailor who likes to make bold moves and is a troublemaker out on the racetrack as he loves nothing better than piling the pressure on excellent skippers schooled in the Solitaire du Figaro. His background has been forged in the offshore racing world: winner of the Mini Transat in 2009, winner of the Route du Rhum in 2010, winner of the Transat AG2R in 2018. The skipper from Dunkirk has really showcased his art in the Vendée – Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne: he’s the one who’s covered the greatest number of miles (3,362 compared with 3,284 for Charal) by attempting options, whilst displaying an incredible capacity for getting back into the top trio each time. After a retirement from the Vendée Globe 2016, the skipper of LinkedOut will be returning to the round the world race with a devilishly high-performance boat. He too is one of the major pretenders for the Holy Grail!

Samantha Davies, fourth in the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne

Initiatives-Cœur crossed the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne this Tuesday 14 July at 22:28:55 French time). Sam Davies covered 3,224.79 nautical miles at an average of 13.06 knots, which equates to 11.37 knots over the theoretical course (2,807 miles). Sam Davies finishes 4th in the Vendée-Arctique- les Sables d’Olonne, 10 days, 6 hours 58 minutes and 55 seconds behind the winner Jérémie Beyou (Charal).

What a race! Since the start in Les Sables d’Olonne on 4 July 2020, the Briton has been constantly picking off her rivals one after the other, rounding the IOC-UNESCO waypoint to the south of Iceland in 5th position astern of Kevin Escoffier (PRB). Aboard her 2010 IMOCA to which foils have been added, Sam has demonstrated real confidence in her ability and that of her boat, pushing and shoving the top skippers and boats from the same generation. This 4th place in the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d’Olonne proves what incredible offshore experience this 45-year-old sailor has racked up (5 Transat Jacques Vabres, 2 Vendée Globes, 1 Route du Rhum, 1 Volvo Ocean Race…) and how she is continuing to up her game, whilst clearly relishing the simple fact of being at sea above all else…

Kevin Escoffier, fifth in the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne

The skipper of PRB crossed the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne this Tuesday 14 July at 23:24:34 (French time) after 10 days, 7 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds of racing. He covered 3,283.80 miles at an average of 13.25 knots, which equates to 11.32 knots over the theoretical course (2,807 miles). Kevin Escoffier finishes 5th in the Vendée-Arctique- Les Sables d’Olonne, 2h 40 min 26 seconds behind the winner Jérémie Beyou (Charal).

Kevin Escoffier has had his first taste of competing in a singlehanded Imoca race over this large triangular course around the North Atlantic. It has proved to be a baptism of fire giving how demanding this race has been in terms of strategies, manœuvres and setting yourself new targets. But Kevin is as tough as they come, credited with an extraordinarily vast experience through multiple extreme crewed races: North Atlantic record, Jules Verne Trophy and Volvo Ocean Race. Second in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Nicolas Lunven, Kevin immediately proved that he knew how to handle his 2009 foiling Imoca and that he was a force to be reckoned with to shake up the ranking, which he headed up on 9 occasions. Battling throughout with Sam Davies (Initiatives-Cœur), as well as Boris Herrmann (Seaexplorer – Yacht Club de Monaco) and Isabelle Joschke (MACSF), before the latter two boats suffered damage, Kevin Escoffier never gives up. A character trait that augurs well for the next Vendée Globe!

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