Across the loneliest waters on Earth, where the Roaring Forties become the Furious Fifties and ice drifts in the dark, the Vendée Globe enters its most brutal chapter.

In Part Two of our two-part special, sports historian Michael Wiltshire guides you through the modern era of the world’s hardest solo race, from the rise of high-speed foiling yachts to the legendary rescues, heartbreaks, and miracles that unfold far from land.

Drift through the stories of sailors who faced the Southern Ocean at its fiercest, including Jean Le Cam’s dramatic mid-storm rescue, the tragedy of boats lost to rogue waves, and the breathtaking final sprints back up the Atlantic.

Explore the psychology of extreme solitude, the fragile beauty of the empty horizon, and the powerful bond between humans and the sea.

A calm, immersive journey into the heart of modern ocean racing, and the wild, indifferent waters that will always command respect.