Samantha Davies finishes 13th in the Vendée Globe

by Vendée Globe media 30 Jan 2025 12:05 GMT 30 January 2025

Initiatives-Coeur skipper Sam Davies (GBR) is pictured on June 28, 2024 off Lorient, France © Yann Riou / polaRYSE - Polaryse / Initiatives-Coeur

It was with a huge measure of relief and satisfaction that French based Brit Sam Davies (Initiatives-Coeur) emerged from more than 48 hours of hellish weather to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe in 13th place at 10:15 hrs UTC today.

Her elapsed time for the race is 80 days 22 hrs 13 mins and she finishes 11 hrs 56 mins behind Germany's Boris Herrmann who she was often close with during her race. Davies finishes the race for the second time after taking fourth in the 2008 race and abandoning into Cape Town on the last race after hitting an object and retiring after a dismasting in 2012.

As for Herrmann just in front of her, 13th is not the result the highly talented and vastly experienced Davies wanted when she came into this race, not least as she had recently taken third in The Transat and sixth on the New York Vendée - Les Sables d'Olonne. But on a race which always favoured those who were near the front, in the top peloton, Davies started modestly in the light conditions on the descent of the Atlantic and then was never granted a weather scenario to allow her to make the jump to reconnect with those she would normally be racing beside. She suffered several annoying, time consuming technical problems at just the wrong times, most notably just missing out a few miles behind Herrmann and her close friend and rival Justine Mettraux when they both escaped on to the system in front.

But, unbowed, Davies has been her usual bright, sunny articulate self all the way around the Vendée Globe race course, maintaining an exceptional level of inspirational communication. Even if her position in the fleet was not necessarily what she wanted she visibly cherished every day on the race course on the boat she loves. And whilst she was keen to get finished even a few days ago she was saying how much she would miss the race.

After losing touch with the group in front she had a spirited race up the Atlantic with Clarisse Crémer (L'Occitane en Provence) and Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environnement - Water Family). Both were able to take advantage of a weather window which allowed them to get across the finish line in the midst of a building storm which she prudently chose to avoid, in fact turning 180 degrees to backwards down the track to miss the system, the sign of excellent seamanship. Nonetheless after the mental challenges of carrying on out of the race on the last Vendée Globe sailing two thirds of the course on her own, finishing this race today with a respectable place achieves Davies number 1 goal!

Race in figures:

Arrival time (UTC): Thursday 30 January 2025 at 10h15
Race time: 80d 22h 13min 39s
Difference from first: 16d 02h 50min 50s
Samantha Davies covered theoretical course of 23?906 miles at an average speed of 12.31 knots.
Samantha Davies covered an actual course of 28?584 miles at an average speed of 14.72 knots.

Find out more...