Jean-luc Van Den Heede wins prestigious cruising medal
One of sailing’s most prestigious awards, the Cruising Club of America’s (CCA) Bluewater Medal, has been given to French solo sailor Jean-luc Van Den Heede. ‘VDH’ as he is affectionately known in France, won the Golden Globe 2018 race last year, capping an illustrious career that includes six single-handed circumnavigations.
The 74-year-old year old also still holds the record for the fastest solo non-stop record sailing the ‘wrong way’ route westabout the world, which he set in 2014 in the 86ft aluminium cutter Adrien. Prior to that, VDH took part in two
Vendée Globe races and a BOC Challenge – his solo racing career dates back to the early days of Open 60 circumnavigations in the 1980s. Before that, like so many of his contemporaries and elite solo sailors of today, he made a name in the Mini Transat in 1977 and 1979.
He won the Golden Globe Race in January last year after 212 days at sea on his Rustler 36, Matmut. A testament to his seamanship, which has always been a defining aspect of his sailing history, he finished despite a capsize in the Pacific that damaged his rigging. He was one of only five finishers of the the 18 entrants in the race and is now the oldest sailor to complete a solo round-the-world race.
It is unusual for the CCA to make this award to a professional racer. Former Bluewater Medallists include such pioneering amateur adventurers and explorers such as Rev Bob Shepton, Jarlath Cunnane (see our feature on his voyage through the North East Passage on page 67), Eric Tabarly, Sir Francis Chichester and Skip Novak. But the award has also recognised some outstanding feats of seamanship while racing, and has been given to racers such as Pete Goss and Japan’s Minoru Saito.
The club’s Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy was awarded to Gregor Mcguckin (pictured right) The 32-year-old Irish sailor was dismasted during the Golden Globe Race in 2018 but jury-rigged his boat and sailed to within 25 miles of stricken fellow sailor Abhilash Tomy to assist with Tomy’s rescue.
Another award was made to French sailor Guirec Soudée, who made a fiveyear, 45,000-mile voyage in his 39ft cutter Yvinec, accompanied by his red hen, Monique – though he added to the crew later by adopting a puppy, Bosco.
Soudée sailed to Greenland, through the North West Passage, then along the Pacific north-west to French Polynesia, before sailing south to Antarctica and home to France through the Atlantic.