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Age : The VENDEE GLOBE 2004 is open to any person aged 21 or more at the start date.
Nationality : The competitor’s entry shall bear the same nationality as that of the competitor.
Number of participants : There is no limit to the number of participants in the VENDEE GLOBE 2004.
Medical : Each competitor shall have his general practitioner fill in and sign the race medical dossier furnished by the Race Doctor. The file shall be sent to the Race Doctor before 31 st July 2004. In the event of chronic or progressive pathologies, the Race Doctor may :
Either advise that the application be rejected
Or, before advising on medical grounds, request that second medical opinions be sought. In
such cases, the competitor should consult several specialists, appointed by the Race
Doctor.
Should the Race Doctor decide that there are medical grounds to justify rejecting an
application, the competitor may appeal against the Race Doctor’s decision, this
appeal being presented to the Federation’s Doctor. In accordance with article
9-1 of the Federal Medical Commission, there is no right of appeal against the opinion of
the Federation’s Doctor regarding a competitor’s participation.
Compulsory training courses : All competitors shall have taken part in the following courses :
A medical course
A course relating to safety and survival at sea
Qualifying passages
Competitors shall be accepted upon the condition that they can satisfy the following :
Either having completed a single-handed transoceanic race
in which they were classified in the previous eight years, in other words after 7 th
November 1996, on board the 60-foot monohull entered in the VENDEE GLOBE 2004.
Or having entered and completed the VENDEE GLOBE 2004 on board the 60-foot monohull
entered in the VENDEE GLOBE 2004
Where a competitor raced the VENDEE GLOBE 2000 (and was classified) on board a boat other
than the one he is entering in the VENDEE GLBOE 2004, he shall have to sail an observation
passage as set out in article 5.7. Where a competitor has raced a transatlantic race (and
was classified) on board a 60-foot monohull other than the one he is entering in the
VENDEE GLOBE 2004, he shall have to sail an observation passage as set out in article 5.7.
“Observation passage” shall be understood as follows : A single-handed transoceanic observation passage of not less than 2,500 miles, without anchoring or putting into port, on board the 60-foot monohull entered in the VENDEE GLOBE 2004. This passage must have been sailed at an average speed of at least 7 knots. In order for the passage to be authenticated, each competitor shall have his log book signed by the harbour master where he sets out and by the harbour master where he completes his passage. Both harbour masters shall certify that the competitor did indeed leave the start and finish harbours single-handed. The general configuration of the boat during the observation passage shall comply with her configuration for the VENDEE GLOBE 2004. The observation passage shall be run within the time limits provided for in the Notice of Race, thus before 20 th September 2004. If a competitor fails to have satisfied his obligations by 20 th September 2004, the Organising Committee shall reject his application.
During the observation passage, the competitor shall keep a fully-detailed log of the voyage. The competitor shall have carried out astronomical navigation calculations. Details of the astronomical navigation calculations carried out by the competitor shall be set out in the log and navigational charts. These documents shall be forwarded to the Race Directors as soon as the passage has been completed and in any event, no later than 20 th September 2004.
At the end of the observation passage (if such passage is necessary), the competitor shall sign a statement (attached to the application form) setting out the passage(s) covered and indicating the name of the boat on which he sailed the passage(s). The statement shall be returned to the Race Directors no later than 20 th September 2004. The competitor shall set out in this document whether transformations have been made, or are going to be made after his observation passage(s).
If the competitor confirms that the boat is to be modified after the observation passage, he shall indicate precisely the type of transformations concerned, and indicate whether or not these changes modify the boat’s stability. In providing these indications, he shall furnish all documents - certified by the architects and sub-contractors having made new components for the boat - to confirm or invalidate changes to the boat’s stability. By way of example, he should set out whether a new keel, new mast or any changes to the ballast have been made following his qualification change the boat’s stability.
All of these documents shall then be submitted to the organisers of the VENDEE GLOBE 2004, the Race Directors, the Measurement Committee, the Race Committee and the Jury. Together they shall consult IMOCA Office as well as the Sporting Commission as to whether or not they can give special dispensation from articles 5.6 and 5.7 and go ahead with new stability tests on the 60-foot boat, or verify the reliability of the new equipment by undertaking an observation passage. The organisers’ decision shall be binding – there shall be no right of appeal against their decisions.
Admitted class : Only monohull sail boats whose overall length is between 58 and 60 feet and which comply with the IMOCA 60-foot Class Rules 2004 (as set out in article 3.1above) and their appendices shall be permitted to enter.
Measurement : A 2004 measurement certificate shall be drawn up for each boat entered by the Official IMOCA 60-foot Class Measurer. A copy of the certificate shall be inserted in the application or submitted no later than 20th September 2004.
Refusal to allow a boat to race : The Organising Committee reserves the right to allow a boat to race if it does not appear to be in good condition, or insufficiently fitted out, dangerous or should it fail to comply with the obligations of the Notice of Race and Safety Rules.
Energy, Engines : Each boat shall have an engine as provided for under the IMOCA rules. All sail manoeuvres shall be carried out manually by the competitor. The shaft drum shall have a hole of at least 4 mm drilled in it so that the event’s measurer can pass a seal cable through. A broken seal cable may give rise to the competitor being disqualified. The boat’s batteries shall be sealed before the start.
Start off Les Sables d’Olonne.
Course in the bay.
Cape of Good Hope to port.
Cape Leeuwin to port.
Cape Horn to port.
Finish in the bay of Les Sables d’Olonne.
Waypoints or gates may be set out in the sailing instructions, the aim of which is to improve safety for competitors.
Real time rankings will be drawn up for the race once penalties or bonuses have been awarded by the Jury. Additional rankings may be drawn up in accordance with the modalities set by the sailing instructions.
At the end of the VENDEE GLOBE 2004, 475,000 Euros inclusive of tax will be awarded in the form of cash prizes, as set out below :
Port Bourgenay mark : 1 st : 3,000 € incl tax
Overall rankings for the VENDEE GLOBE 2004 :
1 st : 150 000 € incl tax
2 nd : 90 000 € incl tax
3 rd : 60 000 € incl tax
4 th : 40 000 € incl tax
5 th : 30 000 € incl tax
6 th : 20 000 € incl tax
If five or more competitors rank above sixth place, they shall receive an equal share of the unawarded 82,000 euros incl tax. If fewer than five competitors rank above sixth place, each competitor ranking higher than sixth place shall receive the sum of 16,400 € incl tax. The remainder shall be shared out in equal shares between all of the ranked competitors.
In order to be able to undertake the right type of medical action upon oneself or another competitor in difficulty, each competitor is required to possess a certain number of medical skills. Each competitor shall follow a course of medical training which shall be carried out in the following conditions :
A course run by a professional training organisation,
registered with the regulatory authorities, and providing doctors and paramedics with
medical emergency training.
The contents must satisfy the criteria set out in appendix 1, medical course appendix.
Have been undertaken in the last 2 years, thus completed after 7th November 2002 and
before 1 st November 2004.
Upon completion of the course, each competitor shall be issued with receive a certificate
by the training organisation running the course to confirm that the medical training
course has been completed.
In the event of a competitor failing to undertake the course before 16th October 2004, a
course will be held in Les Sables d’Olonne. It will be organised under the aegis
of the Race Doctor. Competitors may sign up for this course in completing appendix 2,
medical file (art 5.4 of the Notice of Race) in other words, no later than 30th June 2004.
Upon completion of the medical course, before 1 st November 2004, each competitor shall
send to the Race Doctor a certificate confirming he has followed the course.
In accordance with the directives set out in the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations, each competitor shall have completed a course of training in survival at sea. All competitors shall follow this course of training in a centre approved by the ISAF or the F.F.Voile, or one of the ISAF member National Authorities. Upon completion of this training, before 20th September 2004, each competitor shall send the Race Directors a certificate confirming he has followed the course. The course must date back no more than 5 years before that date.
A medical assistance service and medical advice at a distance shall be available and accessible to competitors 24h/24h throughout the race. The service shall be provided by the Race Doctor. Competitors are responsible for deciding whether or not to call upon this or another service during the race. If a competitor contacts another doctor of his choosing during the race by telephone or by e-mail, the doctor in question shall inform the Race Doctor and provide information on the evolution of the competitor’s pathology.
If the Race Doctor judges that a competitor’s medical condition is incompatible with his safety and that he ought not to continue in the race, he should so inform the Race Directors. So that all the necessary measures may be taken to safeguard the competitor’s life, the Race Directors may demand the intervention of another competitor or of safety and rescue services of the country concerned.
Each competitor must complete the Signing On Sheet and hand it to the Race Committee before 8h00 on 7th November 2004. After finishing the race, each competitor must complete the Signing Off Sheet in the 6 hours following his arrival in Les Sables d’Olonne (crossing the finishing line).
Principle : The VENDEE GLOBE is a single-handed race, with no stop-over and WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
The term WITHOUT ASSISTANCE should be understood to mean that in no event may competitors receive personalised outside assistance, nor may competitors benefit from a voluntary, recurrent and planned intervention, aiming to improve their performance or that of their boat. They shall not therefore receive :
Personalised weather assistance (Art 14.1).
Outside assistance (Art 14.2).
Personalised medical aid, with a view to improving their performance (Art 14.3).
In the event of damage requiring repairs to the boat, or in the event of an unforeseen
medical incident which might affect the competitor’s health, advice may be given
by a third party at a distance.
Routing is prohibited. Routing shall mean any personalised indication coming from the outside, with the exception of authorised weather information sources, providing assistance understanding the various weather situations and the choice of course(s) to be followed or not to follow.
Each competitor shall be required to sign a written statement at the start and finish of the race in which he shall certify that his family, his sponsor(s) and his shore team shall comply with this rule. The details of this rule shall be the subject of an additional clause issued no later than 30 th June 2004.
During the race, the competitor may have no material contact with another vessel of aircraft. He shall not receive supplies in any way whatsoever. A competitor may put into port, at anchor, by his own means but shall not receive any outside assistance - with the exception of medical assistance strictly restricted to the provisions of article 14.3 below, nor may he draw alongside a quay or another vessel. Competitors are not authorised to go ashore nor to disembark beyond the limit of the greatest high tide. In the event of failure to comply with these rules, the competitor will be deemed to be out of the race and shall no longer be classified.
A competitor who wishes to draw alongside a quay or a vessel, go ashore, receive outside assistance or receive supplies shall only be able to do so within the harbour zone of Les Sables d'Olonne and with the prior permission of the Race Directors. The competitor will not be allowed to restart the race any later than 10 days after the start.
Stability criteria with which the boats have to comply have been calculated for each boat in her current configuration. This means that in the event of a change in the configuration of the boat (stepping of a new mast after a dis-masting or other incident(s) and repairs carried out in the harbour of Les Sables d’Olonne within the time limit provided for under the Notice of Race), the boat’s stability criteria will be checked. When it is likely that the work carried has changed the yacht’s stability, new measures and calculations shall be carried out.
Direct intervention by a doctor on board is forbidden. Medical advice given by telephone, radio or fax shall not be considered as assistance. The term medical advice shall mean any aid given by a doctor at a distance, that aid being intended to resolve an unforeseen medical incident affecting the competitor’s health. In the event of an extreme emergency, extra medicines may be given by another competitor to the one who is ill, or taken on board at the following official passage points : Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, Cap Horn. Beforehand, the list of the substances concerned shall be presented to the Race Doctor who shall grant or refuse his permission. This procedure shall be the subject of a detailed report submitted to the jury which shall decide whether or not to hold a hearing.
[Source: www.vendeeglobe.org]