Global Solo Challenge: Delamare and Mowgli - A voyage to fulfill a dream
by Margherita Pelaschier 11 Aug 2023 06:35 PDT
Actual 46 Mowgli © Margherita Pelaschier
Philippe Delamare, a professional French skipper, has signed up for the Global Solo Challenge with a dream he has been nurturing for some time: to circumnavigate the world.
This dream was born during his childhood when he sailed alone on a dinghy in the Royan region of Charente-Maritime during family vacations. Each cape rounded, every bay crossed, were like vast oceans for him, making him dream of an epic journey around the globe. "I knew that one day I would go around the world. The GSC has swept away all resistance, setting the date for my departure."
The first question a skipper without a boat asks is: which vessel will allow me to accomplish my round-the-world journey? Initially oriented towards a traditional Class40, Philippe chose a 1989 Actual 46 made of aluminum, more in line with his experience and personality. "I feel more comfortable on a robust boat, designed for long ocean voyages and less focused on competition. My primary goal is to complete the circumnavigation and finish the GSC. I'm not competitive. If I manage to make good time, I'll be pleased, but winning is not my priority."
When Philippe's search began, he found the boat of his dreams thanks to a friend who builds aluminum boats in the south of France and with whom he had worked years earlier in New Zealand. "I bought this boat specifically for the GSC, but I also wanted a boat to sail on afterward. I am fascinated by the region of Ushuaïa, Patagonia, South America, and Antarctica. I love these places, so I wanted a boat that, after the circumnavigation and with some modifications to improve comfort, could continue to accompany me on other sea adventures."
The Actual 46, with a length of 14.20 meters and a width of 4.20 meters, has a fixed keel (a mandatory feature in the IOR class) and a draft of 2 meters. Philippe estimates that its weight at departure will be around 9 tons. Designed by naval architect Jacques Fauroux, the boat was built by the Tinlan shipyard in the south of France, now closed. Jacques Fauroux, in addition to being an architect, was also a true racer and skilled helmsman, several times world champion in the Moth class. Originally from Cannes, Fauroux made a name for himself designing prototypes for regattas, one of which gave rise to the Neptune 625, a nimble and fast boat. He worked for a period for the Aloa shipyard before opening his own studio in collaboration with his two sons, Nicolas and Bruno.
Fauroux is known for designing fast cruising boats, like Philippe's, and is famous for the beauty and elegance of his creations. He has significant achievements such as the Gib Sea 68 and 90, which have had their moments of glory in many regattas. As for cruising boats, he is the creator of models like the Sun Rise and the Sun Charm. "I contacted Fauroux to see what he thought of the boat before buying it. He confirmed to me that, in his opinion, it's an excellent boat, absolutely capable of going around the world," Philippe recounts.
Philippe's third boat is again named "Mowgli," like the little wild protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." "This name, to which I am very attached, has several explanations. One of them, a bit intellectual, comes from the story of this book that fascinated me as a child. Mowgli embarks on an initiatory journey through the world and the jungle; he opens up and discovers life and humanity. Also, it was the first animated film I saw at the cinema. I was born in 1963, and the film came out in 1967. For the little boy that I was, always running around playing in the woods, it was a revelation."
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