Christophe Bogrand enters the GSC 2027 with Sterec Bleu
by Global Solo Challenge 29 Apr 18:28 NZST
Christophe Bogrand – Sterec Bleu – Tocade 50 (Patrick Balta) © Global Solo Challenge
We are pleased to welcome Christophe Bogrand as the 17th confirmed entry in the Global Solo Challenge 2027-2028. Christophe, from Ploerdut in the Morbihan region of France, brings with him a lifetime of sailing experience and over 150,000 miles sailed. His passion for the sea began in early childhood, sailing with his parents on their wooden Bélouga, and continued through a lifetime of coastal and offshore adventures, including a family circumnavigation.
Christophe will be taking on the challenge aboard Sterec Bleu, a 50-foot monohull built in wood epoxy. His approach to the event reflects a love of sailing that values preparation, simplicity, and making the most of existing boats and equipment. Having recently completed a transatlantic crossing to test Sterec Bleu in race conditions, Christophe is now preparing to return solo to Brittany to complete his qualification for the event.
As organisers, we are thrilled to see such experienced sailors joining the Global Solo Challenge and sharing the spirit of the event. We look forward to introducing two more skippers in the coming weeks, as the 2027-2028 edition continues to grow into an exciting and diverse fleet.
About the Skipper
Name: Christophe Bogrand
Nationality: French
Resides in: Ploerdut, Morbihan, France
Born in: 1963
Miles sailed: 150,000+
Where does your passion for sailing come from?
At the age of 4, my parents took me aboard their wooden Bélouga. At 8 years old, I started sailing an Optimist, then moved on to windsurfing in regattas. I spent five seasons sailing in the Class 8.
When my children were born, we sailed on cruises in Brittany and the Mediterranean, and later completed a family round-the-world voyage. The sea has always been part of our lives, creating a permanent bond.
What lessons has sailing taught you?
I love both offshore sailing and coastal cruising. Sailing a boat that you have chosen and love creates a unique emotion.
Dropping anchor after a rough crossing is an absolutely delightful moment, an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else. After ten days at sea, when you and your boat become one, when you recognize every sound and life organizes itself serenely, all these experiences teach us to remain humble in everyday life. We lose all connection with the trivial concerns of land life, which, in my opinion, have become completely uninteresting today.
What drew you to solo sailing?
Throughout my life, I have sailed, sometimes solo. Then the desire to race my Dick Newick trimaran "Sterec Aile Bleue" in the 2018 Route du Rhum made me discover the pleasure of pushing further in solo sailing.
What motivated you to sign up for this event?
I want to complete a solo round-the-world voyage aboard this wooden epoxy monohull, in which I feel so good. I love challenges and confrontation.
I am not necessarily seeking to have a brand-new, ultra-high-performance latest-generation boat, but I am very happy to demonstrate to future sailors, young and old, that it is possible to sail properly on a reasonable budget by reusing second-hand boats and equipment.
How are you planning to prepare for this event?
I bought "Sterec Bleu," a Tocade 50, in 2020 to sail around the globe again with my wife Carole. It has already allowed me to sail extensively and to get to know it better.
In January 2025, I left with a friend from Roscoff to the Bahamas to test the boat in race configuration. It is very well balanced and simply eager to log miles. It brings me immense pleasure.
I will return solo at the beginning of May 2025 to Brittany and will take the opportunity to complete my qualification for the Global Solo Challenge.
What do you think will be the greatest challenge?
As always, everything is a matter of preparation, then of miles sailed together. It will be essential to manage the equipment well to stay competitive and to discover the Southern Oceans.
Do you intend to associate your personal challenge with a social cause?
Yes, absolutely, for an environmental cause. There is still time to raise greater awareness about the disappearance of our biodiversity. Being a forester and following my son Hugo, who manages an agricultural estate operated through regenerative farming, I aim to raise funds for every mile sailed to reforest farms that wish to participate, helping to restore our ecosystems' balance.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This round-the-world race will allow us to meet sailors who share the same ethics, with very varied experiences, all within a reasonable budget. This moment before departure will be extraordinary.
I would also like to thank Marco Nannini and his entire team, without whom this adventure with its virtuous format would not be possible. What a brilliant idea this staggered start is!
Sailing Experience
- First boat: Optimist from 8 to 14 years old.
- Windsurfing, then open class and funboard; participated in many championships between ages 15 and 22.
- Catamaran KL 28 (Tip Top), Trophée des Multicoques, Spi Ouest-France.
- Class 8 (Lotrie), winter training in Lorient, Spi Ouest-France, French Championship.
- Feeling 10.90 (Tioman), family cruising.
- Centurion 38 (Sterec), first long-distance family cruise.
- Étincelle 60 catamaran (Sterec Cat), built in Brazil for a family round-the-world voyage.
- Trimaran Newick 1984 (Sterec Aile Bleue), participated in the Route du Rhum 2018 and 2022.
- Monohull Tocade 50 (Sterec Bleu), preparing for the Global Solo Challenge 2027; transatlantic crossing outward in double-handed mode, return solo.
- Trimaran Newick 1985 (Sterec Ultime), preparing for the Route du Rhum 2026.
- Return to competition in Windsurfer LT: French, European, and World Championships.
- 7 transatlantic crossings, 1 Pacific crossing.
About the Boat
Boat name: Sterec Bleu
Sail number: FRA 168
Boat design: Tocade 50 (Patrick Balta)
Year built: 2007
Length overall (LOA): 50 feet
Displacement: 14 000 kg
Upwind sail area: 108 m2
Downwind sail area: 230 m2