#Vendée Gobe

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

One month from now, on May 29, 31 skippers will set sail from New York towards the Vendée, for the final qualifying and selection race to qualify for the Vendée Gobe: the most challenging sailing race around the world. Few days before, on May 24, all the IMOCA boats, these impressive 60 feet long racing boats that can go up 50 mph, will make the Show in Manhattan Bay. Everyone in New York City will be able to come and watch the Show from the shore, especially from Governors Island, the best spot.

On 29 May at 8 p.m. French time (2 p.m. local time), off the coast of New York, 31 sailors will be lining up for the start of the New York Vendée, twice as many as in the first edition in 2016. This race, which includes the favourites for the Vendée Globe, is likely to set a new transatlantic record: the downwind conditions should propel the first competitors towards Vendée very quickly... In view of the technological progress made by the IMOCA boats, the record time of 9d 16h 57min 52s set by Jérémie Beyou in 2016 should be beaten.

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Nota bene: This year, the IMOCAs will NOT be docked at North Cove Marina by the World Trade Center like in 2016. 2/3 of the fleet will be in Brooklyn, either at One 15 Brooklyn Marina, the endpoint of the Transat CIC, or Moonbeam Marina on Jamaica Bay. 1/3 will spend the month between races in Newport, Rhode Island before heading to New York for the NY-Vendée. Happy autograph-hunting, fans!