The time is almost upon us for the first ever Irish entry in the hardest yacht race in the world!
Irish yachtsman, Enda O’Coineen, will carry Ireland’s hopes, and the hopes of sponsors Mercedes-Benz and their MSL dealerships, when he takes part in the round-the-world Vendée Globe Challenge sailing race which begins in France in early November.
Described as the hardest race in the world, the 29,000-nautical miles (53,700km) event begins and finishes in the French Atlantic coast resort of Les Sables d’Olonne, sailing non-stop from east to west along a course that will take him, and the 29 skippers involved, via the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn and the Western Australia headland, Cape Leeuwin.
Activities planned around the event include an educational programme for primary school pupils through which they can plot the progress of the race on a fun map using live tracking and weekly video broadcasts.