Belgian hope in the Vendée Globe
Denis Van Weynbergh is aiming to become the first Belgian sailor to cross the finish line of the biggest single-handed round-the-world sailing race
The Vendée Globe is undoubtedly the greatest round-the-world sailing race; it follows in the footsteps of the Golden Globe which, in 1968, initiated the first voyage of its kind around the three legendary capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn.
This extraordinary race, commonly known as the Everest of the Seas, has seen 200 sailors on the starting line in its nine previous events. But only 114 have managed to cross the finish line. This figure alone demonstrates the extreme difficulty of this global event, which takes place every four years.
The Belgian Denis Van Weynbergh has qualified for this Vendée Globe 2024 for the first time. At 56, this former SME boss, who has also worked for Médecins sans Frontières in Rwanda, Burundi and Chechnya, dreams of being the first Belgian to complete this extraordinary race. To achieve this, a long journey of a theoretical distance of 24,300 miles (45,000 kilometres) awaits the Belgian sailor, along with 39 other competitors who set off from Les Sables-d'Olonne in Vendée on 10 November.
Denis Van Weynbergh is ready to take on the icy cold and huge waves of the oceans, sailing alone on his 60-foot IMOCA monohull. No stopovers or assistance will be allowed during the three-month journey.
The whole of Belgium wishes him "smooth sailing"!