Conrad Colman finishes 21st in the Vendée Globe 2024

by Vendée Globe media 3 Feb 21:15 PST 4 February 2025

Conrad Colman (NZL) - MS Amlin - celebrates after finishing 21st in the 2024 Vendée Globe - Les Sables d'Olonne , France - February 4, 2025 © Anne Beauge / Alea

Conrad Colman, the Kiwi skipper of MS Amlin, completed his second Vendée Globe today when he crossed the finish line off Les Sables d'Olonne at 04 06 33 hrs (UTC). He takes 21st place in an elapsed time of 85d 16h 04min and finishes 21st, 13 minutes after 20th placed Jean Le Cam.

In the most biggest and most competitive Vendée Globe fleet ever Colman has completed an assured, accomplished race on a modest budget on a boat which he extensively refitted and made reliable himself with a very small team.

After strategic error on the first section of the race, a non paying move he shared with Jean Le Cam, Alan Roura, Giancarlo Pedote and others, Colman fought back hard and consistently, pulling back hundreds of miles by pushing hard and making some better decisions.

And so while he might have liked to have been a little closer to the top two non foiling boats his overall result is excellent and adds to the spectacular finish he achieved in 2017 when he was dismasted 700 miles from the finish but completed his race under Jury rig. And for the second time Colman has completed his race using no fossil fuels.

If the tone of a Vendée Globe is decided in the first hour of racing, then Colman got a kind of early hint his race was not going to be easy. A few minutes before the starting gun, on November 10, a piece of rope got stuck in his propeller, preventing him from disembarking his crew. The skipper of MS Amlin had to wait to cross the line, and finally set off.

But unbowed three hours later, while the fleet was largely becalmed, Colman came back strong and even took the lead in the ranking in itself a reward for the hundreds of long hours of work he put into transforming an IMOCA which had something of an unlucky streak to date. As Kito de Pavaant's Groupe Bel it had retire early before it nearly broke in half forcing Thomas Ruyant to retire into New Zealand in 2016 and in 2020 whilst Max Sorel finished in 10th place he had had to make substantial reinforcing repairs to the deck to finish the race safely. But Colman gave his MS Amlin a new lease of life.

Before Madeira, he tried his luck in the East like Jean Le Cam (Tout Commence en Finistère - Armor-lux). He attacks down the South Atlantic in 32nd position, and celebrates, despite a total blackout on board, his 41st birthday a few days before a big scare at Cape Finisterre, with his large gennaker falling into the water, at night, in 40 knots.

The Indian Ocean is tough and Colman goes South, to shorten the route. He climbs to 27th position, at the same time has to climb the mast repair his lazy bag battered by the southern ocean storms. In the Pacific, Conrad Colman tries again an unusual option, pointing his bow alone towards his native country to avoid the calm zone. Ten days later, there he is face to face with an iceberg, and he even gets out his drone to immortalize this chilling encounter.

At the end of the Pacific, MS Amlin does well after rounding Cape Horn in 22nd position.

"My fourth Cape Horn and certainly my most beautiful passage! It's magnificent, and it's proof that even in light winds, dreams come true," he exclaimed, before weathering a storm in the Falklands that pushes him along the coast of South America.

After an exhausting Doldrums where he cools off with a quick swim to check the condition of his keel, the Kiwi who holds a US passport too, crosses the equator in 22nd position, and is still in the pack at the finish in the Azores High.

Battling with Jean Le Cam in the final days, the sailor snatches 20th place, eight years after his 16th place. Before the start, he said he wanted to "go all out and not give up!" And that is just what he did.

Race in figures

Arrival time (UTC) - Tuesday 4 February 2025 at 04h06
Race time - 85d 16h 04min 33s
Difference from first - 20d 20h 41min 44s

Conrad Colman covered theoretical course of 23,906 miles at an average speed of 11.63 knots.
Conrad Colman covered an actual course of 27,913 miles at an average speed of 13.56 knots.

Race highlights

10 November 2024
Delayed start for Conrad, after a rope got stuck in his propeller a few minutes before setting off! But a few hours later, Conrad Colman came back strong, and even took the lead of the fleet on a score!

13 November 2024
Watermaker failure on board MS Amlin, but the "Crazy Kiwi" managed to repair it!

15 November 2025
Eastern option to the Canaries for Conrad, who followed Jean Le Cam along the African coast! Slowed down considerably in the ridge, the option did not prove to be so profitable, but put on a show!

23 November 2024
Crossing the equator in 32nd position.

26 November 2024
At the tail of the second group, Conrad hung on in the South Atlantic to stay in the match. A little lowering of the mainsail to change a batten, and we were back on the attack!

30 November 2024
Total blackout aboard MS Amlin. After long hours of repairs, Conrad remains without some precious systems.

2 December 2024
A 41st birthday celebrated at sea!

6 December 2024
The Cape of Good Hope is reached in 32nd position still, after several successive very violent fronts! His large gennaker falls into the water but Conrad manages the feat of recovering it at night in 40 knots.

16 December 2024
Having climbed the mast to repair his lazy bag, Conrad is 27th and is making a beeline in the Indian Ocean.

22 December 2024
For his arrival in the Pacific, the New Zealand skipper heads north alone to avoid the calm. In the end, status quo, he recovers his 27th position when he crosses again!

2 January 2025
Iceberg in sight! South of Point Nemo, 29th at the back of his group, Conrad passes close to an ice giant, which he even immortalizes with a drone.

7 January 2025
After an impressive comeback, Conrad rounds Cape Horn in 22nd position.

9 January 2025
Storm as he passes the Falklands, but the Kiwi is having a blast and outdistances his direct competitors!

20 January 2025
Having chosen to come back up close to the Brazilian coast, Conrad is making up ground on his rivals in front. He dives next to his boat to check the condition of his keel... and to cool off in the heat of the Doldrums!

22 January 2025
Equator crossed in 22nd position.

28 January 2025
Like those in front, Conrad struggles in the Azores high. There are once again 8 boats in less than 100 miles!

4 February 2025
Arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne after 85 days at sea, in 21st position. Eight years after his first Vendée Globe, he repeats the feat of a round the world race without fossil fuel!