The 24-strong international fleet in the fourth edition of the Vend�e Globe single-handed, non-stop, around the world yacht race, finally set off from Les Sables d'Olonne, France, at 1611GMT on Thursday.

Under dramatic black skies and only five knots of breeze the yachts left on their 23,000 mile journey after a four day postponement due to severe weather conditions.

Guy Bernadin, a veteran circumnavigator from the first edition of the toughest yachting challenge known to man, opened the route out of the Port on "Spray of St. Briac".

Each skipper was sent off like a king by the thousands of spectators lining the channel.

Main sails hoisted

Once out into the bay of Les Sables d�Olonne, main sails were hoisted against a charcoal sky, a light North Westerly breeze fluxed, and the fleet slowly circled within the start zone as the Committee boat fixed the line.

After the start the more competitive boats engaged in skillful and yet precarious maneouvring off the line in a dying wind and mounting swell.

On the left to windward British skipper Mike Golding (Team Group 4) pushed out a lead, the other Brits not far behind. In the middle, veteran Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations) and young-gun Thomas Coville (Sodebo) were side by side gathering speed.

On the shore side to leeward the formidable duo of Mich Desjoyeaux (PRB) & Roland Jourdain (Sill) seemed to gain the most out of their position and catch a better breeze to come to the top marker buoy in first and second place an hour after the start, tacking alongside each other.

The third boat to round the buoy 8 minutes later was another Brit, Josh Hall (EBP Gartmore), who came in from the left to cut in on Parlier & Coville.

First female

First female round was Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool), followed closely by Richard Tolkien (This Time Argos Soditic). Mike Golding (Team Group 4), although in 10th position around the buoy, sailed off on his own course further inshore than the top half of the fleet and started making serious ground on Desjoyeaux and Jourdain quickly.

First 50 footer was Patrick de Radigues (La Libre Belgique), ahead of several 60 footers already. Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) passed the buoy mid-fleet, followed minutes later by fellow international skippers Javier Sanso (Old Spice) and Simone Bianchetti (Aquarelle.com).

As each boat tried to find new breeze, the fleet spread out along the horizon very quickly on their course towards Cap Finisterre, the sunset silhouetting their full mainsails against the reddening sky.

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Rankings at the top marker buoy, at 1540hrs GMT:

Ranking / Boat Name / Skipper / Approx. Time (GMT)
1. PRB - Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) 1610
2. SILL - Roland Jourdain (FRA) 1610
3. EBP GARTMORE - Josh Hall (GBR) 1618
4. SODEBO - Thomas Coville (FRA) 1618
5. AQUITAINE INNOVATIONS - Yves Parlier (FRA) 1618
6. SUPERBIGOU-ARMORLUX - Bernard Stamm (SUI) 1621
7. WHIRLPOOL - Catherine Chabaud (FRA) 1621
8. THIS TIME-ARGOS SODITIC - Richard Tolkien (GBR) 1623
9. UBP - Dominique Wavre (SUI) 1624
10. TEAM GROUP 4 - Mike Golding (GBR) 1624