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In no particular order, the navigator has rounded Cape Horn 12 times, 6 times solo. After his circumnavigations of the world in the direction of the wind (to the east), Jean-Luc Van Den Heede set himself the challenge, and succeeded, of circumnavigating the world in the other direction, in reverse, starting from Cape Horn. In 2019, he crossed the southern tip of America again in January, winning the Golden Globe Race. This race celebrated the anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe without assistance or stopovers, won in 1968 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
VDH, 2 Vendée Globe on the clock
On a boat, we live, we eat, we suffer and sometimes, we cry. This is the life on board that Jean-Luc explains to us In the first Vendée Globe, it was acceptable, almost the classic life of a solo yachtsman. In 1989, I was steering a lot, and electric pilots were in their infancy. It was quicker and more efficient to take the helm and stay there, again and again. Some days I spent 80% of my time at the helm, and I liked it. In any case, there was no choice. The onboard autopilots had never been tested this close to the South Pole. The theoretical compasses began to deviate and lose north. It was impossible to trust them. The risk of breakage was also lower, as we were going slower. Also because the boats had only one rudder. And this rudder was aligned with the keel. In the event of a collision, the keel would protect the rudder by deflecting the UFO. "
When a competitor learns over the airwaves that he has become a father
An ocean race is a community of racers, as the adventurer explains. " During radio shifts, we communicated by St Lys radio . The station in Toulouse was responsible for putting us in touch with the race directors, among others. They also put the sailors in touch with their wives or mistresses. Everyone heard each other's worries, doubts, concerns and problems. The information one got, the other got immediately. Today, all this is done by iridium, with exchanges via Skype and Bluetooth headsets. No more interaction between navigators, no more will any of them ever hear a navigator's wife tell him he's a daddy on the air. That's what happened to Loic Peyron on the first Vendée Globe in 1989. That was the spirit of the open sea. "
A different kind of solitude at sea
And yet, the solitude and complexity of ocean racing remain, then as now. " In ocean racing today, there is no longer absolute solitude, no longer the need to know how to manage. It is now possible to contact your team and the engineers in your design office at any time, without any doubt that it will work. You can ask for advice on how to repair a problem. The boats are ready several days before the start of the race. I remember in the first Vendée Globe, the night before the start, there was still a furler on the pontoon. "But ocean racing doesn't just recognize sailors But let there be no mistake: ocean racing has created a large number of preparers, electricians, computer specialists and on-board electronics engineers, all of whom are extremely competent in their fields and put their skills at the service of as many people as possible, in both the racing and yachting communities. "You have to accept evolution," explains the navigator In ocean racing, you don't have to go against evolution, you just have to go with it, and not let it take precedence over the exploit. "
And on land, too
Once back on land, sailors have to return to their earthly lives, often far from the pontoons. Besides, what does a sailor suffer when he comes back from such a race? " It's moments, flashes" explains the competitor. "Two images come to mind, the first passage around Cape Horn, that moment when you think the race is over. And that's a major mistake, because the climb back up the South Atlantic is long and not as easy as it looks. But it's a mythical moment, a daydream. But it's a mythical moment, a daydream. The boat does not dream of Cape Horn. The second, and perhaps more vivid, memory is of arriving in Les Sables. During the BOC Challenge, when I arrived at a stage, 500 people at most would greet me. And it was nice to know that all those people had come to see me. With the Vendée Globe, things take on a whole new dimension. There are 150,000 or 200,000 people watching you, all along the Vendée channel. Those 200,000 people are a real shock, a real rock star feeling. You appreciate and enjoy the moment. We're not in ocean racing for the recognition or the money (the navigator laughs at this point). The sea is in our blood, and this mass of people coming out for us is like a slap in the face."
At sea, we reconnect with authentic life
There's no denying that a sailor spends more time on land than on the water. But he has his own definition, his own sensations of life at sea. Jean-Luc tells us about his Being on the water is above all a routine. A hum of life separate from the land. You get back in touch with authentic life. Earthly duties quickly disappear. No more schedules, appointments, e-mails or visits. The only constraint is to live. Living with a capital V, in fact. Living with all its simplicity, tasting, choosing a dish, creating a menu of pleasures. Living by steering your boat, as efficiently and effectively as possible. The boat needs you when it needs you, depending on its environment. "
An even different rhythm in what the navigator seems to enjoy more and more: cruising. " When you're cruising, you don't have to steer the boat fast and well. You come to live with an even bigger V. I appreciate cruising and its rhythm more and more. Perhaps it's a question of age: fighting against time makes me measure the time I've already used up, and puts it into perspective with the time I have left. It's better to slow it down as much as possible to make the most of it. "
Problem philosophy
The man's philosophy of life is confirmed " Problems arise when obligations are created. Obligations create obligations. And, often, everyone is at the origin of the first. The real luxury today is not big cars or megayachts, but time. Of course, sometimes you can't control the arrival of worries, as was the case while I was sailing around the world upside down in 2003. Right in the middle of the Pacific, paf, an URRSAF inspection. Fortunately, my accountant managed! All kidding aside, time is of the essence in 2020. "
Speaking of voluntary solitude, what does a long-distance sailor really miss when he's in his element, in the middle of the sea? Here again, the competitor's reason is unstoppable" I'm naturally happy. I'm easily satisfied with my situation. What I have one moment, ocean racing has taught me, I may not have the next. Round-the-world racing has taught me about fatality. Apart from my loved ones, I don't miss anything on board. I'm also a natural optimist. Things are bound to get better. When you're facing a storm or a gale, the wind invariably dies down. So it's best to stay in the cockpit, reduce sail and wait for the gale to pass. Whether this is wisdom or logic, I don't know. But what I'm certain of is that it's the only solution."
The Golden Globe, the art of taking your time
The sea, a different prism Seeing the world and the sea changed my outlook. We no longer observe nature in the same way. You don't look at people in the same way either. You have time to think and reflect. To question and challenge. You have to question yourself, both the choices you make now and the essential choices you make in life. At the helm, I had time to question myself and build my philosophy. "Marine corollary?" The card table has changed. We've moved towards more technique and less poetry. That's just the way life is, and it's made us change. When we borrowed a car in 1900, we had to put a spark plug under the engine so that it would start the next day. There was a certain poetry to it, of course. But that doesn't mean we don't like being able to start the car when we need to, whatever the time of day or night. I found poetry in the Golden Globe. This race is the real thing, the sextant and the loch. Despite the difficulties I encountered. I loved this race, it's poetic. I recommend it to all dreamers, really. As long as they're prepared, of course! "
Ocean racing: virus or vaccine?
Jean-Luc is suffering from the worst of all evils, so we had to ask him. Is ocean racing a virus or a vaccine? With a burst of laughter, he begins to answer. " Above all, it's a passion. There are many things in passion. The preparation, with the search for the best ship configuration. Then there's financing. Then comes the creation of the crew. Once you've got the ball rolling, the action starts to take shape, and the choices you've made are quickly confronted with reality. You have to manage the crew, the route, the speed, the pace. Ocean racing calls for an eclectic mix of talents. The skipper is a financier, a mentor, a psychologist, an electrician, a plumber and a cook. This one-man band is motivating and exciting. Ocean racing is anything but a monotache, repetitive and boring. It's a thousand layers of tasks and responsibilities that make up the race as a whole. "
Sail as much as you can!
What would the VDH of 2020 have to say to the kid he was when he was 10? " I'd tell him to sail as much as possible. Start small, don't skip a step. Start with the Optimist. When you feel like it, move on to dinghies. If you feel like it, start with small competitions, then bigger and bigger ones. And, above all, sail, again and again, as soon as you can. Start learning to sail, and you'll never stop. All your life, you'll discover new things, new tricks and new traps. For the boat, as for your life, be complete and competent in everything. Stay humble in front of those who know. Other people can and will advise you. Listen to them, write it down and repeat it until it's perfect. You need to be able to understand how everything is put together, how everything is installed. You need to understand the logic of the installation, whatever it may be. You need to be curious about life, things and people. In a word, know your boat from A to Z, and even a little beyond. Bear in mind that once you're alone in the middle of the ocean, you'll have to be able to do everything yourself, from fixing a sail to unclogging a toilet. "
A final ecological message
The conclusion could only be luminous, in the image of Jean-Luc Van den Heede I think that when you're on your boat, you're like being on a planet, but on your own. You maintain and look after your boat, which is sailing in a particularly hostile universe. If the boat disappears, you die. To avoid that, you keep cleaning it, maintaining it and keeping it running.
The earth is identical to our boat. It's a planet in a hostile universe, and if we leave the earth's atmosphere, we die. Let's become aware of our boat, the earth. And let's look after it as if it were at sea. The earth is as fragile as a boat in the middle of the sea. And humans are as vulnerable as the skippers of these boats. Let's take care of this space that allows us to live. "
We told you, light up this VDH!
