Sailing - Vendee Globe - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - November 10, 2024 France's Fabrice Amedeo and sailors in action during the race REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
LES SABLES D’OLONNE, France - Forty intrepid skippers representing a record 11 nationalities and including six female competitors set off on the world's most challenging solo sailing race on Sunday as the 45,000-kilometre non-stop circumnavigation Vendee Globe got underway.
Under clear skies and with light winds of four to seven knots, the fleet departed from Les Sables d’Olonne in western France, cheered on by enormous crowds lining the iconic canal.
