"Sailing is my job, adventure is my passion..."
— Jérôme Delire, skipper
Jérôme Delire
Born in Brussels in the heart of a family of musicians and artists for several generations, Jérôme has never stopped getting closer to the Ocean... From his first sailing in Optimist at the age of 7, until his world tour through Ecuador in 2019, the wonder and contemplation for this universe have never left him. Guided by passion and love of nature, Jérôme has built up an experience of the open sea, mile after mile...
Today, after a double-handed world tour, 8 Atlantic crossings, more than 10 years of competition within the Belgian Sailing Team, the Belgian skipper has already covered almost 100,000 miles.
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Where does your passion for sailing come from?
This is one of the mysteries of life :-) …!
I was born in Brussels in the heart of a family of musicians and artists for several generations, but since I learned to walk, I have never stopped getting closer to the Ocean... First trips in Optimist At the age of 7, until my world tour through the equator in 2019, the wonder and contemplation for this universe never left me.
What lessons have you learned from sailing?
At sea, there is no room for deception. We are ourselves and we taste the delicious blend of the noblest definition of humility: a subtle navigation between instinct and the unknown... The Ocean is probably one of the rare places where we hear human beings say : " I was mistaken ". We live, we act, and in between, we marvel at all the beauty of the Ocean, which reveals us as we are.
In reality, when I return to the port, I realize that life on land is very complicated :-)!
What led you to solo sailing?
Initially, I did my first experiences alone due to the lack of availability of crew for professional deliveries… And in reality, this revealed something totally unexpected. We often hear it said: “travel only has meaning if it is shared”… It’s true, but the solo adventure brings another dimension. The emotions are heightened, the wonder deeper, and the adrenaline releases more powerful doses! I try in vain to take a cure, without success...!
What was your motivation for registering for this event?
If we move the lens back a little, we realize that our footprint on earth is measured in thousandths of a second, and my first trip around the world via Ecuador completely convinced me! Due to Covid-19, my wife and I had to travel 9,800 miles non-stop between Raiatea and Reunion Island. Without a doubt the most beautiful part of the trip... I'm just a normal human being: I want more!
I find that this event brings a lot of good to the world of ocean racing. This organization allows enlightened amateurs to complete a completely crazy challenge, while being supervised.
How do you plan to prepare for this event?
I think the reason why this challenge is so difficult is that it is impossible to reproduce the conditions of the South Seas to be able to prepare for it... So we have to rely on the testimonies of sailors who have already sailed in these extreme conditions.
If the world tour is solo, preparing the project requires a support team and colossal work behind the scenes! This is why our team has been working on the project since 2023. Sailing is a mechanical sport, so the sailor and the technical preparation must be impeccable. Then, collect as many miles as possible before departure to test the equipment and test it in racing configuration.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Line up the boat on the starting line, and set off relaxed…
The boat
There are only 6 examples of this sailboat in the world.
The boat: POGO 40 S2
CLASS 40 #109
Year of construction: 2011
Builder: Pogo Structures
Length: 12.19 m
Width: 4.50 m
Draft: 3 m
Sail area upwind: 115 m²
Lightweight displacement: 4580 kg
A word about the boat:
My boat is a POGO 40S2 from 2011.
It already has 90,000 miles on the clock but it has been constantly maintained by its various owners. His last big race was the 2022 Route du Rhum with Victor Jost at the helm.
Our team is associated with the spirit of the Global Solo Challenge because we find that reusing existing boats and adapting them for large-scale projects is a great way to maintain a spirit of resourcefulness while minimizing environmental impacts. My world tour via Ecuador was carried out aboard an IMX 38 (X-Yachts) from 1994. The conclusion was a real success: sailing offshore with an old, quality, well-equipped structure is everything entirely possible.