Image credit: © SAEM Vendée - Olivier Blanchet - ALEA
A long-term collaboration from Vendée to excel on the international stage
In 2024, BENETEAU - the flagship of the yachting industry - will be celebrating its 140th anniversary. Proud of its Vendée origins androots, the brand will also be celebrating 20 years of partnership with the Vendée Globe as the official supplier of support boats.
Over the past 20 years, BENETEAU and the Vendée Globe have built up a special relationship, born of a shared passion for the sea and sailing. The Vendée-based company has been an official supplier to the event since 2004. For the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, the organisers will be counting on a fleet of fourteen boats from the Antares and Swift Trawler ranges to welcome the media and the organisation's cameramen and photographers at the start of the race on 10 November 2024, as well as at the finishes of the 40 competitors. This choice of seaworthy, powerful and manoeuvrable boats will enable them to safely face the rough weather conditions that can sometimes occur at this time of year. The Wellcraft brand, part of the Beneteau Group, will also be present with the Wellcraft 355 and 435.
This collaboration extends to the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne transatlantic race, the final qualifier for the Vendée Globe, which starts off New York on 29 May. This is an obvious choice for the BENETEAU brand, which is present all over the world and for whom the American market is a major one. An alliance that transcends borders!
Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Globe and President of the Vendée Department:
« 2024 is going to be a very exciting year. We'll be celebrating the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe and the 140th anniversary of BENETEAU, an iconic brand that is a pioneer in the yachting world. This lasting partnership with this flagship of the industry, which is firmly anchored in our region, will enable us to raise the colours of the Vendée around the Globe. »
Jean-François Lair, BENETEAU Brand Director:
« We are very proud to be partners of the Vendée Globe. It's not by chance, because we are sharing so much: first of all, our roots in the Vendée region. Then there's our common passion for the open ocean. BENETEAU is present in most countries and on most of the world's seas. This is a very special edition, as it celebrates both the 20th anniversary of our partnership and 140 years of BENETEAU. »
About the Vendée Globe
November 10, 2024 will see the start of the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, with a line-up that is set to break all records for participation. As many as 40 skippers will set off from Les Sables d'Olonne, to attempt a solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world sailing adventure.
The success of the last edition of the Vendée Globe, marked by a start behind closed doors, an epic rescue and a breathtaking sporting scenario right up to the finish, has further strengthened the appeal of the race for the general public and skippers alike.
Edition after edition, the event continues to attract more and more contenders from all horizons. They will have to validate their qualifying course, which will end with the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne, a race that will start off the coast of New York on May 29.