Virtual Vendée Globe runs down to the wire as 2021 winner declared
The virtual version of the Vendée Globe, held on world-leading digital sailing platform Virtual Regatta, was officially won on Saturday 16 January at 11:18 am.
Much like the ongoing real-life race, it was an incredibly close-fought affair, with a mere one minute and 35 seconds separating first and second place.
Frenchman Jean-Claude Goudon, known on Virtual Regatta as “tigrou26120,” was the first to cross the finish line, setting a new record of 68 days, 22 hours, 16 minutes and four seconds in the process.
In second place was Ronny Jesse (Tournesol II) from Germany, with a race time of 68 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes and 39 seconds, and in third, Maxime Thomas (Kerjouanno), another French player whose final race time was 68 days , 22 hours, 18 minutes and 34 seconds.
In its fourth edition, the Virtual Vendée Globe attracted a record one million players, with the race starting at the same time as the real-life round-the-world mission on 8 November 2020.
eSailors from all over the world participated; as well as the French and German representation on the podium, skippers from Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Poland and Italy were also ranked highly in the final standings.
