John Cairns wrote:
Always thinking up these races that only they can win! Lucky we have Lance
Armstrong!
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/uk/classements

It's not that "only they can win" but the French have much more popular
interest in this. In the US sailing in general is barelya blip on the
media radar, and this "round the world alone" stuff sounds like a
hallucination. In France it's very popular and the skippers are like
rock stars.

Of course, they are also of the Gallic temperament that every man must
argue violently with the skipper at every opportunity, so despite the
high level of skill & technology, the French are disadvantaged at any
non-singlehand sailing...

Fresh Breezes- Doug King