Andi Robertson

Working within the Vendee Globe’s media team gives you a unique insight into the machinations going on behind the scenes

For all that the action has been fast and furious in the Vendée Globe and Alex Thomson’s performance has really ignited interest in the race – as it stands just now over six million people have seen his Kerguelen Islands heli footage on social networks alone – it is a bit of a slow burn race. By that I mean that it has taken some time to get to know who is who, who the characters really are, who the future racing stars are, who the borderline nutters are, and even who is going to win.

Part of the reason for that is that, as I write pre Christmas, there are still 22 of 29 starters in the race. The attrition rate has never been so low. Correspondingly it is taking that little bit longer for the real stories and characters to resonate with the world outside.