Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who has rounded Cape Horn more than any other sailor, has received the inaugural Pindar Cape Horners Lifetime Achievement Award.

The French offshore skipper has sailed past the Southern Ocean landmark 12 times during his decades-long sailing career – six times solo eastabout, four times solo westabout, once as part of a two-man delivery crew and once while cruising in 2014.

The former Maths teacher still holds the world record for the fastest solo westabout circumnavigation of the world, which he completed in 122 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, a veteran of 12 Cape Horn roundings, is presented with the IACH Lifetime Achievement award by Andrew Pindar OBE. Credit: Barry Pickthall/PPL

On receiving the award from businessman and long-time yacht racing sponsor Andrew Pindar at the annual International Association of Cape Horners’ lunch, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede said: “I am quite surprised and very honoured.

“In France, some people think that I am not normal, but I can tell you I am completely normal. I am a normal guy, an ex-teacher of mathematics and I run my life and I am very happy with my life and I would never exchange my life for another one,” he said.

Having grown up on a diet of the works of Joshua Slocum, Vito Dumas and Alain Gerbault, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede began sailing as a 17-year-old initially on introductory dinghies like the Simoun, Vaurien and Flibustier.

He trained as a Maths teacher and bought his first boat – a Corsaire – before upgrading to a Cape Horn when his daughter was born.

Like many who now follow a pathway to the Vendée Globe, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede raced in the Mini Transat, coming second in 1977 and 1979.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede entertains fellow Cape Horners with tales of his many roundings. Credit: IACH

He also built his own boat – a 12m steel ketch – near his home in Lorient, which he lived onboard with his wife and two children while he continued to teach Maths.

In 1987, he came second in Class Two (40-50ft boats) of the 1986-1987 BOC Challenge aboard Let’s Go – his first solo circumnavigation. This was the second edition of the solo round-the-world yacht race, with skippers racing over four legs – Newport to Cape Town, Cape Town to Sydney, Sydney to Rio de Janeiro and Rio de Janeiro to Newport.

Class One (50-60ft boats) was won by Philippe Jeantot, who went on to found the Vendée Globe, which started in 1989.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede was among the 13 skippers racing in the inaugural non-stop round-the-world yacht race, aboard his Philippe Harlé and Alain Mortain-designed 60ft yacht, 36.15 MET.

The start of the 1989 Vendée Globe, with Philippe Poupon, skipper of Fleury Michon (right), and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede aboard 36.15 MET (left) fighting to cross the line first. Credit: Getty

The cigar shape of the aluminium boat was considered radical at the time, but proved its worth when Jean-Luc Van Den Heede crossed the line in third place after 112 days, 1 hour and 14 minutes at sea – he was three days behind the winner Titouan Lamazou.

Following the first Vendée Globe, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede left teaching and became a full-time sailor.

He raced in the second Vendée Globe in 1992 aboard the Open 60 yawl, Sofap-Helvim – the yacht was nicknamed ‘le Cigare Rouge’ – the red cigar – as it was so narrow, particularly at the stern. He came second, behind fellow Frenchman, Alain Gautier.

He came fourth in the 1993 Transat Jacques Vabre and third in Class One of the 1995 BOC Challenge on Vendée Enterprises, before beginning his attempt to hold the record for the fastest east-to-west circumnavigation – against the prevailing winds and currents.

Article continues below…

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Jean-Luc Van Den Heede made his first attempt in his Open 60 yawl but after 48 days at sea, he hit a submerged object between Cape Horn and New Zealand and had to stop in Chile.

He commissioned a new boat – the 85-ft aluminium Adrien and in 2001, made a second attempt. After rounding Cape Horn, the boat’s keel became loose and he had to retire.

Undeterred, he made a third attempt in 2002 but was dismasted south of Australia.

His fourth attempt was successful, and on 9 March 2004, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede crossed the finish line off the Créac’h lighthouse, Ushant after 122 days 14 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds at sea.

He broke the record held by Philippe Monnet by 29 days, 5 hours, 50 minutes and 47 seconds; and his record still stands today.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede at sea – he won the Golden Globe Race after 212 days at sea. Credit: Jean-Luc Van Den Heede/GGR/PPL

At 73, he won the 2018-19 Golden Globe Race, aboard the Rustler 36, Matmut, despite pitchpoling in the Southern Ocean in 11 metres seas and 65 knots of wind; this damaged the connecting bolt attachment to the mast which holds all four lower shrouds.

Initially, he planned to head to Chile to make repairs, a move that could have seen him relegated to the Chichester Class for entrants who make one stop, but instead decided to make the necessary repairs at sea and continue in the race, rounding Cape Horn – his 12th time around the landmark – on 23 November 2018.

Membership to the International Association of Cape Horners is open to anyone who has rounded Cape Horn under sail as part of a non-stop passage of at least 3,000 nautical miles which passes above the latitude of 52° south in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans without the use of engines for propulsion.

The association also runs the Cape Horn Hall of Fame.

Inductees are announced annually during a special ceremony at the association’s yacht club in Les Sables d’Olonne and include cruising and racing sailors such as Jeanne Socrates, Sir Chay Blyth, Stan Honey, Sir Alec Rose, Mike Golding, Francis Joyon and Dee Caffari.

The association keeps a record of all solo non-stop, solo with stops and multi-crewed circumnavigations of the world, which also includes cruisers such as Australians Michael and Rosemary Lewis, who sailed around the world via the three major capes of Horn, Hope and Leuwin on their 36ft boat, Expeditus, as well as finishers of every round the world yacht race since the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race.

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