Les Sables d’Olonne, world capital of solo ocean sailing
After hosting a great edition of the Vendée Globe, Les Sables d’Olonne will host the most outstanding solo sailing events
The welcoming capacity and experience have made the city an essential venue for ocean sailing regattas
The Breton town will host the Mini-Transat in September and the Golden Globe Race in 2022
Les Sables d’Olonne is a unique enclave for those who aspire to jump into the ocean and experience all kinds of salty emotions. The city has Port-Olona and its quality infrastructures, the channel that so many great sailors have traveled, the bay facing south and the Atlantic that pushes its waves to the main beach. A majestic setting for solo ocean racing and its most prestigious ambassadors.
Yannick Moreau, mayor of les Sables d’Olonne and president of the Community: “Les Sables d’Olonne is the scene of the most beautiful nautical competitions. A magnificent space with infrastructures to welcome and live great maritime adventures. At Sables d’Olonne, we saw the sea; and sharing it with the world is our pride. Our companies, our clubs, our associations are committed every day to the excellence and influence of our nautical sector. Although an incredible edition of the Vendée Globe has just finished, our city is preparing to bring the best of solo ocean racing. With the Mini-Transat, which will disembark at Les Sables d’Olonne for the next three editions, the first of which will start in September, and the Golden Globe Race, which will start in 2022, the wind blows towards the ocean for the inhabitants of Les Sables d’Olonne and the Vendée ”.
Regattas, achievements and emotions
The city of the Vendée has established itself over the years as the world capital of solo ocean racing, the place where contemporary maritime adventures are written. The Vendée Globe, whose last edition was the most followed in history despite the health situation, is the best example of this. The most prestigious IMOCA regatta, whose official trophy presentation will take place on May 22 at Les Sables d’Olonne, will experience a new edition in four years, in November 2024.
As a result of the Vendée Globe, there is a series of events that have become essential in the calendar of oceanic regattas: the Mini-Transat, the Golden Globe Race, the Solo Maître CoQ, Les Sables-Les Açores or even Les Sables -Horta. What they have in common: that they all have Les Sables-d’Olonne as a port.
The Mini-Transat and the Golden Globe Race in the spotlight
The Mini-Transat is the flagship event of the Mini 6.50 Class, in which a fleet of 6.50-meter-long sailboats with a single crew member participate, crossing the Atlantic to reach Guadeloupe without assistance. This regatta, which will start from Les Sables d´Olonne in its next three editions (September 26, 2021, 2023 and 2025) has become a must for all ocean sailing fans who dream of becoming champions of the morning. Yannick Bestaven (2001), Armel Tripon (2003), Thomas Ruyant (2009) were part of the list of winners of the mini class before participating in the last Vendée Globe.
One year after the start of the Mini-Transat, Les Sables d’Olonne will host the second edition of the Golden Globe Race. A non-stop around the world, alone and especially without technology to rediscover the spirit of the pioneers of the Golden Globe Challenge, held in 1968. With sextant, compass, maps and radios, the participants will try to imitate Jean-Luc Van Den Heede , who claimed victory four years ago after 212 days at sea.
An ecosystem focused on the ocean
Like Van Den Heede, many sailors have chosen Les Sables d’Olonne as their home port. They live there, prepare for their future adventures and occupy a special place in the hearts of the inhabitants of Les Sables. The Ocean Sports Institute, the Sablais Water Sports, Les Sables d’Olonne Vendée Offshore Race and the city’s ten schools, sailing and board sports clubs also play a leading role in the emergence of tomorrow’s great skippers, as well. as in the well-being of the city dwellers.
Just as athletes look out at the ocean, the economy follows the same dynamics. The main marina and fishing port in the Vendée region, Les Sables d’Olonne has four shipyards, equipment manufacturers, startups and companies linked to innovation, a campus specialized in the trades of the sea and numerous business parks. The nautical sector contributes to the attractiveness of the city, and constitutes the second generator of employment in the department.
In addition, Les Sables d’Olonne continued to being the main tourist destination in the Vendée region, thanks to its coastal heritage and the diversity of its coasts. The city has 112,000 tourist places and tourism generates a total turnover of 361 million euros. With its beaches, its cliffs, the diversity of activities it offers and the hospitality of its inhabitants, Les Sables d’Olonne has all the assets to become in the long term the capital of solo ocean regattas, a reference point for all lovers of the sea and oceans.
Regatta program
March 19-28, 2021: Maître CoQ only (Figaro Béneteau 3)
June 27, 2021: Les Sables-Horta (Class 40)
September 26, 2021: the Mini-Transat (Mini 6.50)
July 2022: Les Sables-Les Açores
September 4, 2022: Golden Globe Race
November 2024: 10th edition of the Vendée Globe
