The 'New-York-Vendée' came to an end yesterday evening at 22h with Denis Van Weynberg NED finishing 27th. Only Sam Goodchild GBR had to abandon the race after breaking his mast. Oliver Heer SUI finished 24th and thus secured his starting place for the Vendée Globe, the report. The race tracker with ranking and the reports.

This morning, Benjamin Dutreux FRA ('Guyot Environement') crossed the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne in 13th place. It's rush hour this afternoon at the finish: 14th (Eric Bellion FRA) to 18th (Clarisse Cremer FRA) are only 12 miles apart! The last group with Oliver Heer SUI - now 23rd - finally has fresh winds again and should reach the finish late this evening. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Yesterday, the next group arrived in Les Sables d'Olonne: Samantha Davis GBR ('Initatives Coeur') finished 6th, 3 days 7 hours behind. Only 6 hours later Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') finished 8th. Meanwhile, 10 Open 60 have reached the finish line. The second half of the fleet (from 18th place onwards) is still in the calms in the middle of the Atlantic but is expected to receive fresh winds by midday today. Oliver Heer SUI is 20th. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Two days behind the winner Charlie Dalin FRA, Jérémy Beyou FRA ('Charal') finished 3rd in Les Sables d'Olonne yesterday. Only 2 hours later Sébastien Simon FRA ('Groupe Dubreuil') followed, and another hour later Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable') was 5th. This morning, the second chasing group will reach the finish: Yoann Richomme ('Arkea-Paprec') was still 50 miles short, and only 3 miles behind, Samantha Davis GBR ('Initiatives Coeur') is not letting up. Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') will finish the race in 8th place at noon today. Oliver Heer SUI leads the group that tried their luck in the north in 18th place .... and is still in the calms. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Yesterday afternoon, Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) crossed the finish line in 2nd place, 17 hours behind winner Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif). Tonight, the first chasing group will follow with Jérémy Béyou FRA (Charal), Sébastien Simon FRA (Groupe Dubreuil), and Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable) - the battle for 3rd place has not yet been decided. ----- The second chasing group follows 140 miles behind, with Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) in 8th place. ----- The second half of the fleet is bobbing in the center of a high in the middle of the North Atlantic: Oliver Heer SUI is 20th this morning at just 0.4 knots! ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Shortly before midnight, Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) crossed the finish line after 10 days and 4 hours as the winner of the New York Vendée. Next up today is Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) in Les Sables d'Olonne, he was still 174 miles short this morning. Justine Mettraux is sailing in the second chasing group - 550 miles short of the finish. Ranks 6 (Samantha Davis GBR (Initatives Coeur)) to 8 (Justine Mettraux SUI/Teamwork-Team Snef) are only 3 miles apart! The second half of the fleet is still in the doldrums in the middle of the Atlantic. Oliver Heer SUI was able to fight his way up to 17th place. The race tracker and the reports.

Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is expected to reach les Sables d'Olonne tomorrow morning. He was still 320 miles short of the finish this morning. Moving up to second place is Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia), whose northern route is now paying off: he is by far the fastest in the fleet, although his 300-mile gap to Dalin is unlikely to be made up. Jérémy Béyou FRA (Charal) follows in third place, 75 miles behind. Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) is still 7th, 550 miles behind. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

It remains exciting! Although Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), somewhat knocked off yesterday, should reach the finish tomorrow evening as the winner. It remains completely open whether the southern group will conquer the other podium places or whether Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) will still manage to regain his second place. He has finally reached fresh winds in the north and is now the fastest in the fleet. He has moved to 6th place and is now 80 miles behind second-placed Jérémy Béyou FRA (Charal). Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) is still in 7th place. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The difficult weather conditions on the North Atlantic continued yesterday. Only Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), already 364 miles ahead and still making good progress, should reach the finish on Saturday. The north winds that are now blowing should carry him to the finish. Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) is still waiting for wind in the far north He has now dropped back to 11th place. New in 2nd place is Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable), who leads the closely bunched southern group. In this group in 7th place is also Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), just 40 miles behind Ruyant. Oliver Heer SUI improved one place to 24th, His middle group has reached a huge doldrums zone and is sailing close together. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The two breakaways Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) and alone in the far north Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) were both slowed down yesterday by high pressure zones. Meanwhile, the fleet, more than 300 miles back, has split into two groups: The first chasing group will pass the Azores to the south, a diversion with a little more wind. The second group will sail a little further north. Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) is in 8th place in the southern group, 380 miles behind. The race tracker and the reports.

The atypical weather continues to make for a varied race in the North Atlantic. Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is now 215 miles ahead of Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia), who has turned north in search of wind. The main part of the fleet - Yoann Richhomme FRA is already 441 miles behind in 3rd place - is seeking its luck in the south. Among them is Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), who has moved up to 6th place, 467 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI follows in 25th place. The race tracker and the reports.

In the still changeable conditions in the North Atlantic, a preliminary decision was probably made yesterday: Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) and Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) were the only ones to reach the fresh southerly winds and pulled away. This morning, Boris Herrmann GER and Charlie Dalin already have a 260-mile lead over third-placed Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB). Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) also made a leap forward: in 6th place she is 283 miles back, only 23 miles behind 3rd place. Oliver Heer SUI is still 25th. The race tracker and the reports.

After the flat transition zone, the fleet has now reached fresh southerly winds and accelerated again, but the weather remains inconsistent. Back in the lead is Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia), who has chosen a slightly more northerly course than the leading group. Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is 7 miles back in 2nd, Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB) follows in 3rd, 19 miles behind. The women's championship is underway in positions 8-12: in 8th, Pip Hare GBR (Medallia) is 90 miles behind, Justin Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF) follows in 11th, 98 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI has dropped back to 25th place. The race tracker and the reports.

Yesterday, the fleet reached a flatter transition zone with the leaders moving closer together. Next up are southerly winds of up to 30 knots, and it remains to be seen who will be the first to accelerate from the now widely spread out fleet. ----- Charlie Dalin FRA ('Macif') is ahead with a 1.6-mile lead over Nicolas Lunven FRA ('Holcim-PRB'). Jérémy Beyou FRA ('Charal') is 9 miles behind in 3rd place. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') is 11 miles back in 4th place. Justine Mettraux SUI has moved to 8th place, 38 miles behind. Positioned slightly south of the leading group, she has a good chance of reaching the fresh southerly winds first today. Oliver Heer SUI follows as the first non-foiler in 15th place, 117 miles behind. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

After the flat start, fresher westerly winds kicked in yesterday as expected and the fleet accelerated to 30kn (55km/h). ----- The foiling favorites have moved to the front: Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif) is 0.6 miles ahead of Nicolas Lunven FRA (Holcim-PRB) this morning, with Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) a further 0.2 miles behind. Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), 35 miles behind, has moved up to 11th place after a slow start. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Since the start yesterday evening 80 miles outside New York, light winds have dominated the action, and the fleet of 28 solo skippers is making slow progress and sailing close together. Conditions that for once favored the older IMOCAs without foils. ----- In the lead is Sébastien Simon FRA (Groupe Dubreuil) with a 0.3 mile advantage over Violette Dorange FRA (Devenir), followed 0.1 mile behind by Samantha Davis GBR (Initiatives Coeur). Justine Mettraux SUI in 18th place is 3 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI is currently 21st, but still has to take a 3-hour early start penalty. At the moment, there is a big lull, but during the day, westerly winds will set in. Towards THE evening, the first yachts should pass the last (virtual) control mark 180 miles off New York. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Tonight at 20h the start of the last big race of the Open 60 before the start of the Vendée Globe will take place off New York. The 29 solo skippers are already on their way to the virtual starting line, the best way to follow the start will probably be via Race-Tracker. The forecasts so far predict a crossing with rather moderate winds. The last starting places for the Vendée Globe are also at stake: Oliver Heer SUI must finish the race to confirm his qualification, as must Violette Dorange FRA, the youngest participant at the age of 22. Also taking part is Jingkun Xu CHN, who has to make do with just one hand and is a national hero in his home country. The favourites are Charlie Dalin FRA (Macif), Thomas Ruyant FRA (Vulnerable), Yoanne Richomme FRA (Paprec-Arkéa) and Jérémy Beyou FRA (Charal). But Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) and Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia) can also be counted on. Herrmann GER will be broadcasting the start live from aboard his Malizia from 1945h CET. The race tracker and the event website with reports and pictures from New York.

The start of the transatlantic race back to France takes place tomorrow in New York. This is the last big test before the Vendée Globe (start in November), and therefore also the last qualifying regatta; 40 solo skippers are allowed to take part in the Vendée. Switzerland will once again be represented by Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team Snef) and Oliver Heer SUI, who was able to repair his damaged Open 60 in time. Alan Roura SUI (Hublot), however, will miss the start: He damaged one of his foils in a collision with flotsam, and a serious repair is not possible in New York - the report. The preview.