The third edition of the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne concluded with an unpredictable finale that overturned the hierarchy established during more than eight days of solo racing aboard IMOCA yachts. The race, which started on 7 June, featured for the first time a course requiring skippers to reach the Arctic Circle at a longitude of their choosing before returning to Les Sables-d’Olonne.
A large area of light winds encountered shortly before the finish proved decisive, dramatically reshuffling the leading positions. Ambrogio Beccaria, sailing aboard the IMOCA Allagrande Mapei, capitalised on the situation with an impressive comeback that enabled him to take the lead on Monday evening and hold it all the way to the finish.
The Italian crossed the finish line at 03:07:50 (French time), completing the race in 8 days, 14 hours, 5 minutes and 50 seconds. His victory came at the end of a highly contested race in which he had dropped to fifth place after being forced to dive beneath the hull in Ireland to carry out a technical intervention. From that point onward, he steadily regained ground on his rivals before securing victory in his first solo offshore race aboard Allagrande Mapei.
Second place went to Sam Goodchild on MACIF Santé Prévoyance. Considered one of the favourites before the start, the Franco-British skipper had led the fleet from the very first night and remained at the front for most of the race. However, the final calm conditions prevented him from defending against Beccaria’s charge. Goodchild finished at 04:22:53, trailing the winner by 1 hour, 15 minutes and 3 seconds. Despite the disappointment of losing the lead in the closing stages, the result further confirms his consistency in major offshore competitions.
Completing the podium was Violette Dorange aboard Initiatives-Cœur. The French skipper finished at 05:23:53 after 8 days, 16 hours, 21 minutes and 53 seconds of racing, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 3 seconds behind the winner. Consistently positioned among the leading group throughout the race, Dorange also benefited in the final stages from a 12-hour penalty imposed on Élodie Bonafous, allowing her to secure and retain third place. It marks the first podium finish of her IMOCA career since joining the class in 2023.