Vendee Globe rookie, young Francois Gabart, has won the Vendee Globe Race, after a spectacular race. Second-placed Armel Le Cleac’h was less than 100 miles behind.

Gabart and Le Cleac’h put on an amazing display as they pretty-much match raced one another around the planet, trading places as the race progressed. At 29 Gabart is the youngest winner of the race.

Macif - winner of the 2012-13 Vendee Globe Race

Macif - winner of the 2012-13 Vendee Globe Race. Photo Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/Vendee Globe



A brief story of the race
From the outset, François Gabart set about upsetting the order. He took the lead in the Bay of Biscay, setting a fast pace. The weather conditions favoured the front runners, who soon extended their lead. It took them three days to reach the Madeira latitude, where the first strategic choices were made, andfollowed by Armel Le Cléac’h stormed into the front.

4-way match
Sailing down the South Atlantic after a complicated doldrums, the race was dominated by a leading quartet featuring Armel Le Cléac’h, Vincent Riou, Jean-Pierre Dick and François Gabart, leaving Bernard Stamm and Alex Thomson in their wake. As they reached the Roaring Forties, the skippers ahead picked up the pace, resulting in a series of amazing performances. On November 30, François Gabart broke the first 24-hour distance record (482.91 miles). Shortly, afterwards Vincent Riou was forced to abandon and the remaining three skippers - Jean-Pierre Dick, Armel le Cléac’h and François Gabart – entered the Indian Ocean together as a tight pack, while Bernard Stamm lurked behind in fourth.

The great escape
On December 10, the Gabart set the ultimate solo distance record on a monuhull, covering 545 miles in 24 hours. Armel Le Cléac’h was the only one able to hold on and in just a few days, the two Frenchmen built up an impressive gap at the front. On December 13, Jean-Pierre Dick was 155 miles behind. 24 hours later, the gap had increased to 300 miles and by December 15 it was 500 miles. The Southern Ocean adventure then turned into a spectacular duel in which the two solo sailors were rarely more than 20 miles apart and within visual contact on several occasions. François Gabart returned to the Atlantic on January 1, securing a place in the history book as the first rookie to round Cape Horn as the race leader.

François’ trick
Leaving the Le Maire Straights behind them, the two frontrunners laboured through a windless hole and Gabart managed to widen the gap slightluy, sailing 40 miles ahead. On January 5, Le Cléac’h tacked west his sights set on a ridge of weather. François Gabart kept sailing along his eastern route, taking him to the edge of the Saint Helena high. Gabart's strategy won through and he extended his lead. He crossed the Equator five days ahead of Michel Desjoyeaux’s record. Despite a tricky Doldrums crossing, he continued to ward off Le Cléac’h’s attacks throughout his climb back up the North Atlantic. As he crossed the finish line, the 29-year-old became the youngest Vendée Globe winner ever. To put his win in context, Alain Gautier was 30 years old when he won the 1992-1993 edition in 110 days and 2 hours. What a difference a decade makes.

See also A Thrilling Third for Alex Thomson in the Vendee Globe.

Written by: Gael Pawson
Gael Pawson is the editor of Yachts & Yachting Magazine and the founder of Creating Waves. A keen racer, she has sailed all her life, and started writing about the subject whilst studying journalism at university. Dinghies and small keelboats are her first loves, but she has cruised and raced a huge variety of boats in locations across the world.