First single-handed transatlantic for Denis Van Weynbergh on the IMOCA D’Ieteren Group
This Thursday the Belgian skipper crossed the finish line in the Retour à la Base race at 06h 35min 53 sec UTC.
This equates to an additional 3,463 miles in the tally to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2024.
On Thursday 30 November, the IMOCA fleet took the start of the Retour à La Base race and set a course northward after casting off from Fort-de-France.
The first few hours proved especially lively for the IMOCA D’Ieteren Group.
Several squalls rolled through resulting in a rough ride for our skipper, who was forced to reduce his sail area to continue making headway whilst taking care of his boat: “I had to bear away and reduce the sail area to negotiate the squalls. I’m beginning to see the stars now, but I don’t think I’m done with this zone yet,” admitted Denis at the radio link-up on Sunday 3 December.
Denis then headed eastwards to begin his passage across the Atlantic Ocean, powered by 30 knots of breeze from a depression accompanying the fleet.
Cloaked in mist last Sunday, Denis manoeuvred his IMOCA through the Azores: “You can make out an island in the distance. It was a wonderful night and a great morning spent manoeuvring: two gybes and a sail change,” explained Denis.
After negotiating the Portuguese archipelago, the Belgian sailor then had a rather eventful passage:
“When the time came for me to take down my gennaker,* things didn’t quite go to plan. It came unfurled and I could no longer furl it in. I had to lower it, but it took me several hours. As a result, I no longer have a downwind sail, so I put in a tack to the south and now I’m on a direct course for Lorient.”
*The boat’s headsail
Despite a sail which could no longer be completely furled in, a faulty hydrogenerator and a keel no longer able to be canted, Denis has managed to sail the entire course.
Demonstrating his fighting spirit and resilience, our Belgian sailor was able to overcome any difficulties with round-the-clock help from his shore team and has successfully completed his first single-handed transatlantic passage on an IMOCA.
As such, his training for the Everest of the Seas continues.
It was on Thursday 14 December at 06h53 UTC that Denis crossed the finish line in the Retour à La Base transatlantic race after 13d 14h 35min and 53sec of racing.
In so doing, he has ticked off an extra 3,463 nautical miles in his bid to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2024.