2018 Golden Globe Race – Jean-Luc van den Heede announces entry

by Barry Pickthall on 8 Dec 2015 French solo yachtsman Jean-Luc van den Heede is the latest to throw his cap into the Golden Globe Race ring. He made the announcement yesterday at the Paris Boat Show that he is to race a Rustler 36 yacht in the 2018 circumnavigation event to commemorate the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.

The five-time circumnavigator already holds the record for the fastest solo west-about non-stop circumnavigation against the prevailing winds and currents, and has been a podium finisher in four previous solo round the world races:

Second: 1986 BOC Challenge Around Alone Race
Third: 1990 Vendee Globe Race
Second:1993 Vendee Globe Race
Third: 1995 BOC Challenge Around Alone Race

He joins 23 other men and one women – Britain’s Susie Bundegaard Goodall – to have paid an initial $3,000 entry fee. Other entrants hail from America, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Palestine, Russia and Switzerland.

Van den Heede (70) will join other competitors attending the first Golden Globe Race conference hosted by The Little Ship Club in London on Tuesday 15th December, when he and other skippers will be available for Media interviews.

This is an invitation only event running from 09:30 to 1:30pm and includes lunch.

Van den Heede says of the challenge ahead: 'Back in 1968, I was 23 and fascinated by the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. I followed French competitor Loïc Fougeron who was a friend. I would have loved to have competed in the race myself but being a student, I was too young at that time without experience or money. Now, I have the experience and I find it easy to forget that I am one of the older entrants in this Race. So, thank you Don for coming up with the wonderful idea of staging a 50th anniversary re-run of the Golden Globe Race'