Vendée Globe

A Vendée Globe 2028 Defined by Frugality and Science

120 liters of diesel to sail around the world. That's the major constraint skippers will have to integrate for the next Vendée Globe, starting on November 12, 2028 at 1:02 PM from Les Sables-d'Olonne. For its 11th edition, the Everest of the seas is shifting paradigms: speed is no longer enough—you must also prove you can sail clean and make a difference.

Tougher Qualification Rules

No more simple mileage accumulation. To earn a spot on the 2028 start line, each skipper-boat pairing must complete at least one solo race of Grade 2 status—such as the Vendée Arctique or Route du Rhum—between 2025 and 2028, in a time less than double that of the winner. This is a performance requirement, not just an endurance test.

From there, it's the points standings in the IMOCA Globe Series Championship that will separate the contenders. Only the top 37 will secure their entry. The calculation counts the 9 best results from Grade 1 to 3 races, supplemented by all Grade 4 results, over the 2024-2028 period.

To round out the fleet to 40 boats, the organizers have 3 Wild Cards at their disposal—up from just one in 2024. The stated goal: diversify profiles, internationalize the fleet, and open the door to unconventional projects.

Key Dates

• February 16, 2026: registration opens (D-1000)
• September 10, 2027: registration closes
• November 12, 2028: start from Les Sables-d'Olonne
• March 10, 2029: finish line closure

Find the full calendar on spencer.club.

The Phasing Out of the Combustion Engine

This is the most radical regulatory shift since the introduction of foils. The authorized diesel volume drops to 120 liters—down from an average of about 240 liters in the previous edition. And of those 120 liters, 60 are sealed, reserved for emergency situations.

In practical terms, skippers will need to power their systems—autopilot, navigation instruments, communications, watermaker—almost exclusively through renewable energy: solar panels, wind generators, hydrogenerators. Any use of the engine to recharge batteries outside of an absolute emergency will be penalized with time penalties or even disqualification.

The risk is considerable. A hydrogenerator failure in the middle of the Southern Ocean could mean a total blackout: no autopilot, no communications, no routing. The reliability of green energy production systems becomes the number one technical challenge.

Every IMOCA Becomes a Floating Laboratory

The other 2028 revolution comes in an unprecedented requirement: each boat must carry at least one scientific instrument—salinity sensor, temperature probe, CO₂ monitor, drifting buoy. The Vendée Globe officially transforms into an oceanographic mission.

The scientific value is immense. The Southern Ocean, which IMOCAs traverse for several weeks, remains among the least sampled regions on the planet. In 2024, 25 skippers volunteered. In 2028, there will be no choice. Sailing projects will need to forge partnerships with research institutes—Ifremer, UNESCO, university labs—to integrate and exploit this data.

The Course: Three Capes and Restricted Zones

The route remains the classic westabout circumnavigation, approximately 24,000 nautical miles (45,000 km). Start from Les Sables-d'Olonne, descend the Atlantic, round the three legendary capes to port—Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn—then climb back up the Atlantic to the finish line.

Two types of zones restrict the playing field:

• AEZ (Antarctic Exclusion Zone): a moving virtual boundary, recalculated based on iceberg drift
• BPZ (Biodiversity Protection Zones): prohibited perimeters designed to reduce collision risks with marine megafauna, particularly cetaceans

Integrating BPZs into routing algorithms could potentially alter classic strategies for descending the Atlantic. An additional layer of tactical complexity that routers will need to master.

The First Names Making Waves

Registration doesn't open until February 2026, but projects are already taking shape at full speed.

• Charlie Dalin (Macif): reigning IMOCA champion, he's returning with the ambition to claim the Holy Grail that has eluded him so many times
• Sam Goodchild: announced at the helm of a new IMOCA, he's emerging as one of the top favorites after his recent performances at the highest level
• Benjamin Dutreux: he's launched construction of a brand-new IMOCA, specifically designed for this campaign

The first real test will be the Vendée Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne, starting June 7, 2026. This solo race to the polar circle will serve as a full-scale proving ground for contenders—and the first major qualifying race.

A Three-Year Battle

With only 40 spots and a demanding points system, every race on the IMOCA calendar—Transat Jacques Vabre, Route du Rhum, Globe Series events—takes on strategic importance. Skipping even one major race could cost a qualification berth. Teams will need to maintain a sustained competition pace for three years while proving out still-maturing energy systems.

The Vendée Globe 2028 won't just reward the fastest. It will crown the most complete sailor: fast, resilient, energy-efficient, and a contributor to ocean science.

Compare the competing boats and follow race news on spencer.club.