What is a 'campaign'?

We regularly talk about Ollie's Vendée Globe campaign, but what is a campaign? It's far more than a single epic race, it's the multi-year journey of qualifying events, preparation and build up.

Map representing some of the likely destinations of the qualifying races.

For each edition of the Vendée Globe, the race organisers set out the qualifying criteria and races. This approach ensures that every skipper on the start line has already demonstrated their ability and readiness to take on one of the world's toughest sporting challenges, the 'Everest of the Seas' which is known for pushing the boundaries of physical endurance and mental resilience.

The qualifying races are defined as the IMOCA Globe Series. These races include a mix of solo, double-handed and team or ‘crewed’ events to encourage sailors to learn from each other and provide opportunities for a new generation of offshore sailors to experience this competitive racing circuit. They include short offshore races, transatlantic crossings and even a multi-stage round-the-world race which is sailed as a team. Each race is given a grading based on the distance and format.

The Vendée Globe have recently confirmed the qualification criteria for 2028. Each skipper must prove their experience by completing at least one Grade 2 solo race on the IMOCA 2025-2028 calendar on the boat they will be racing in the 2028 Vendée Globe, without exceeding twice the winner's time. 

Once this condition has been met, skippers must be among the top 37 in the IMOCA Globe Series points championship. In each race, skippers score points according to their ranking, the grade of the race and its format (solo, double-handed or crewed). To complete the line-up of 40 skippers, the Vendée Globe organisers may award three wildcard entries.

Each team can choose the combination and number of IMOCA Globe Series races to compete in, so the path to the Vendée Globe 2028 for each skipper may look quite different. Regardless, each skipper's campaign will demand thousands of miles of racing, in different regions of the world designed to test themselves and their boat in a wide range of conditions.

For those who meet the criteria, is the chance to be amongst the world's best sailors, on the start line of the 11th edition of the Vendée Globe in November 2028.