A machine built for victory
For his fourth participation in the Route du Rhum, Belgian skipper Gilles Buekenhout took the start aboard his 40-foot trimaran Jess. Launched in 2011, this Fisher-Cabaret design was originally conceived for sailing in the Australian Sea. High on the water with highly defended arms, it is also equipped with a pair of adjustable foils, a trimmer daggerboard and a steerable wing mast, all on an all-carbon platform.
But Gilles almost didn't take the start. During the delivery trip to Saint-Malo, Jess collided with an unclassified cardinal off Aber Wrach. We had to mobilize all our resources to quickly repair the damage to the arm, a float and the central hull. And then it was system D, with the support of friends. Gilles doesn't run a stable with an army of technicians. Without a sponsor, he humbly considers himself an enlightened amateur.
There's a touch of Francis Joyon in this skipper who does a lot on his own, with few resources, but capable of driving his trimaran at over 30 knots while maintaining a calm and composed voice during shifts.
A day away from a sure victory
Despite this last-minute damage, Gilles was serene when he set off. Right from the start, he was at the head of the fleet. He negotiated the inevitable damage as best he could, and managed to control his direct rivals, Roland Jourdain, Loïc Escoffier and Marc Guillemot. It's a fine line-up for this experienced amateur.
On November 23, he was in the lead with 225 miles to go, a full day ahead of his pursuers. But fate decided otherwise, as Gilles explains:
" I was sailing at 10-12 knots in optimal conditions, under gennaker. I had finished preparing for my arrival, such as preparing my mooring lines and inflating my fenders, because I didn't want to have to deal with all these problems around Guadeloupe.
Ten minutes after taking the helm, the boat was accelerating at around 15 knots on a 4 m swell, nothing incredible on these boats. But a wave bigger than the others caught the boat by the stern and capsized it at the bow. The crash was violent, and I fell into the water from my helm seat. Quite a dive. I have dark thoughts. The brain quickly realizes that everything is ruined, then the survival instinct takes over. I swim back inside the central hull. I call the race directors and my router to inform them of my capsize. They called me back 20 minutes later to inform me of the imminent arrival of an LNG tanker.
Soon I saw the silhouette of the 250 m vessel coming towards me. I grabbed one of the crown buoys thrown by the crew, and made my way to the freighter. I made my way aft, not quite reassured to find myself next to the propellers, and in front of an 8 m high wall.
I just left with my phone and my survival suit. When I realized I was going to swim 200 meters to reach the LNG tanker, I gave up the idea of leaving with my survival bag."
Boarding the boat is a bit of a sport, as climbing up the pilot ladder proves impossible, and Gilles is retrieved from the net.
A commando operation to save the boat
Gilles' family and supporters, who were waiting for him in Guadeloupe, got organized to save the boat. The evacuation was carried out very quickly, and Gilles didn't have time to fix the beacon outside. The signal does not pass inside the carbon hull, so the boat is not precisely located.
With the help of his router, Grégoire Joseph, Gilles estimated the drift of the overturned boat. A message from a cargo ship that had crossed the trimaran's path helped refine the position. A reconnaissance flight was carried out by Gilles' daughter, while the skipper boarded a tugboat to pick up his boat.
A second flight guided the tug, which found the capsized trimaran on November 29.
Still upside down, the trimaran was taken in tow. But at 4 knots, the bow of the multihull sank into the water. The decision was taken to right the boat. Balloons were attached to the stern arm to facilitate the maneuver, and a sling was struck at the stern to turn her over.
Jess gets back on course relatively easily, with her mast still in place! The sails are in tatters, and the trimaran is cleaned up and towed back to Guadeloupe.
The convoy arrived safely in the port of Pointe à Pitre, where it was quickly dismasted and hauled out to sea.
Considering the capsize and her upside-down daggerboard, Jess is in good shape. It was the towing that was most destructive, as the manoeuvre ripped off the saildrive baseplate, and caused damage to the foils. Once upright, the boat filled with water, drowning the engine and electrical system.
A workcamp in the tropics before a solo return
A trimaran repaired in Guadeloupe
Gilles had three options for bringing his injured boat home: a return on the deck of a cargo ship, a makeshift repair and return by sea, or a complete refit on site. The third option was chosen.
Uninsured for this kind of accident (no competitor is) and without a sponsor, Gilles took charge of the repairs, helped by his daughter and a few friends. Stored at IMM, he made an initial visit in June with a friend, before coming to complete the work with his daughter in August 2023. His daughter was due to make the return transatlantic crossing with her father, but with the work behind schedule, Gilles will be heading back to mainland France solo.
Leaving at the beginning of September, during the hurricane season, he slalomed between Hurricane Lee and Cyclone Margot, lengthening his route.
Despite these detours, he will reach Pornichet on September 25, after a pitstop in the Azores.
Gilles will now turn his attention to other projects, both on land and at sea. After his return to solo racing, he went on to compete in the Transat Jacques Vabre, replacing Denis Van Weynbergh's crew member on the IMOCA D'Ieteren Group at short notice.
