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Vendée Globe Preview 2012

The “Everest of the Seas” kicks off on Nov. 10 from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Here’s what you need to know about this grueling ocean race.
Sailing World

IMOCA Open 60

Jérémie BEYOU (France) flies on the Open 60 Maître CoQ in Lorient, France, ahead of the Vendee Globe JEAN MARIE LIOT / DPPI / VENDEE GLOBE

The race: A non-stop, singlehanded around-the-world race sailed without assistance every four years.

**The start**: Saturday, Nov 10 from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, on the Atlantic coast.

The course: Sail around the world from east to west over 24,048 miles. Start is Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Competitors race around the capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and the Horn.

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The boats: IMOCA 60-foot monohulls. ****Read more about the** IMOCA 60.
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The competitors: Twenty sailors, including one woman, from France, GBR, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland. Click here to meet them all.

**Who will win the Vendée Globe this year?
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Previous Winners: Titouan Lamazou (1990), Alain Gautier (1993), Christophe Auguin (1997), Michel Desjoyeaux (2001, 2009)

For more information:
Visit the Vendée Globe website.
Read Bruce Gain’s blog on sailing with Marc Guillemot on Safran.
Read Gain’s blog on **Alessandro di Benedetto.

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