The Training Programme

The project is working with four skippers. They are all supremely talented, and all have been the subject of Artemis Investment Management's investment over the last eight years. This has provided the opportunity for many of them to cut their teeth in the world of solo racing in the French run, unofficial world championships - The Solitaire de Figaro. The group have many notable successes under their collective belts: Top Rookie in the Solitaire, Mini-Transat Transatlantic crossings, Multi-hull Trans-Ocean world records, Class 40 Southern Ocean leg wins and Volvo Round the World race leg victories. 

The programme covers on water training onboard the our Open 60 race yacht, physical training managed by Southampton University and commercial coaching in sponsorship search. The training forms the base of our evaluation process, which has been put in place in order for us to ultimately select one skipper who will be the person fronting the campaign. By going through this process we are confident that we are nourishing inspirational young men and women on their path to success in the Vendée Globe. 

The 2017 training programme involveD the following:

• 3 day offshore solo training camps with Dee Caffari MBE

• RORC offshore races

• Tailored training days both crewed and shorthanded

• Technical training on yacht systems including electronics, canting keel, ballast, hydraulics, autopilot etc

The Vendée Globe is raced every four years on bespoke designed Open 60 race yachts.  These 60ft carbon race yachts are designed purely for solo sailing, are very technical, cost millions to build and therefore very difficult for young sailors to get experience sailing on.

Our Open 60 has been made available as a training platform for our selected sailors and alongside coaches, Whitecap have developed a training programme which will evolve each year, culminating in the selected sailor aiming to win the Vendée Globe Race 2020.