France’s Lunven sets solo distance record in Vendee Globe

PARIS (Agencies): France’s Nicolas Lunven set a record for the longest distance covered in a monohull yacht by a solo skipper in 24 hours during the Vendee Globe race on Wednesday. Lunven, who opted for a more westerly route than the leading pack on Tuesday, recorded a distance of 546.60 nautical miles (1,012 km) in his Holcim-PRB vessel. The boat also holds the 24-hour crewed record, having logged 640.48 nautical miles during the fifth leg of The Ocean Race in 2023, with an average speed of 26.68 knots. Lunven surpassed the previous solo record of 540 nautical miles, set by Thomas Ruyant during the Retour a La Base race in 2023. The record is pending official ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC). The Vendee Globe is a solo, non-stop and unassisted round-the-world sailing race, dubbed the “Everest of the Seas”. Starting and finishing in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, it covers approximately 24,000 nautical miles, taking skippers through some of the planet’s most treacherous waters, including the Southern Ocean and around the notorious Cape of Good Hope. The race started on Sunday, featuring 40 skippers representing 11 nations. The last Vendee Globe in 2020-21 was won by Frenchman Yannick Bestaven, in 80 days three hours and 44 minutes.