Sailing-Frenchman Le Cleac'h wins Vendee Globe race

LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France, Jan 19 (Reuters) - France's Armel Le Cleac'h, aboard Banque Populaire, won the solo round-the-world Vendee Globe race in a provisional record time of 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds on Thursday. Le Cleac'h, who finished second in the two previous races in 2009 and 2013, is the eighth Frenchman to win the event in as many editions. Briton Alex Thomson, aboard Hugo Boss, is set to take second place early on Friday. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)