Author(s): LE DEUFF, A., NEDELEC, M., CHAUVINEAU, M., DUFOREZ, F., Institution: ÉCOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE DE RENNES , Country: FRANCE, Abstract-ID: 886

INTRODUCTION:
Solo offshore racing imposes extreme constraints. Prolonged sleep restriction is considered inevitable, compromising skippers’ performance and safety. Moreover, sleep management strategies are rare and onboard sleep environments are suboptimal. This case study measured the 2024 Vendée Globe winner’s sleep, examined the influence of contextual factors on sleep, and investigated the perceived relationship between sleep and performance.
METHODS:
Sleep was measured onshore using actigraphy and at sea using dedicated onboard sleep-monitoring tool. Each sleep episode was manually initiated and terminated by the skipper via a computer, followed by a self-rated sleep quality score. Wind force, wind angle, boat speed and air temperature were collected. A semi-structured interview was conducted post-race.
RESULTS:
Over 64 days, 19 h, 22 min and 49 s, the skipper adopted a polyphasic sleep pattern (41.3 ± 10.5 episodes/24 h). Average time in bed (8h22 ± 2h20) and total sleep time (6h30 ± 1h05) were comparable to onshore values (8:03 ± 0:31; 6:23 ± 0:25). Forty-nine percent of episodes were rated moderate-to-good. Nighttime episodes (21h–6h) were overrepresented, suggesting circadian rhythm preservation. Interview data identified four functional-impairment moments and two peak-functioning periods, aligned respectively with decreasing and increasing 24-h rolling sleep. Wind angle modestly influenced sleep duration.
CONCLUSION:
Despite extreme constraints of solo ocean racing, optimized sleep management allowed the skipper to maintain sleep quantity and quality close to onshore. Fluctuations in 24-h rolling sleep appeared correlated to operational functioning. Findings suggest that sleep management strategies can improve performance and safety in solo offshore racing.