Frenchman Pierre-Etienne Rault de Bubry has dreamed of going sailing around the world since childhood. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Golden Globe Race he was not ready to take part in the Longue Route 2018, now that he has the boat he had dreamed of for that trip there is no reason to wait further. In this project he intends to open an introspective parenthesis, take stock of what he has built and see what remains to be achieved. The sea is for him the ideal space for this type of experience. He is a first-class merchant navy officer.
GSC Interview
Where does your passion for sailing come from?
As a child I used to sail in the summer and on weekends on the family sailboat. These navigations embellished with beautiful readings of sea stories have forged my childhood imagination. I dreamed of this circumnavigation and I am one of those who take childhood dreams very seriously. I would resent it if I didn’t try to achieve it.
What lessons have you learnt from sailing?
Humility of course but also honesty because at sea you don’t cheat, you don’t tell stories. The elements impose their laws. That’s it.
What brought you to like single-handed sailing?
Until I was 30, I preferred to sail in good company. But that’s different now. In this project he intends to open an introspective parenthesis, take stock of what he has built and see what remains to be achieved. The sea is for me the ideal space for this type of experience.
And then there is the taste of head to head with the boat. Never better than alone to create a sensitive and intimate bond with your boat. I need this.
What prompted you to sign up for this event?
Sailing around the world was in my head since I was a child. In 2018 for the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe, I was not ready to take part in the Longue Route. Now that I have the boat I dreamed of for this trip, there is no reason to wait any longer.
I will move my boat forward as best I can, but I am under no illusions about my chances of victory. My victory will be first of all arriving with a boat in good condition, happy with my preparation and my trajectory.
How do you plan to prepare for this event?
I will leave in 2022 on a return trip to the Azores alone. Before and after this month of sailing, I will be doing many short voyages for testing and other boat tuning. Physically I will do what it takes to be in great shape on the day of departure.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge?
Face storms one by one in the deep south. And to endure loneliness for so many months.
Tell us about your boat or the boat you would like to have.
Acrux is a good boat. It was designed in the early 1970s by architect Mils Clark with the specifications to to sail around the world by the three great capes. Long steel keel, 3m10 beam for a length of 10m30, is a boat built for the open sea and safe navigation.
Although it is more of a tortoise than a hare, it can still hold an average of 130-140 miles per day on long crossings.
Do you intend to link this personal challenge with a social message?
I don’t know. If there is one, it will be a message about the suffering and disappearance of small farmers.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
No, except that I expect from the organizers all the seriousness imposed by this kind of events.
Sailing experience
Several ocean crossing in both directions and crossing the equator.
About the boat
Name of the boat: Acrux
Boat design: Cotre One Off 34′ (Mils Clark)
Sail number: 303
Year built: 1972
LOA: 34′
Group: TBA
Displacement: 6500 kgs
Upwind sail area: 65m2
Downwind sail area: 80m2
Other information: Steel boat with watertight compartments, pilot house and Fletner type windvan
YOU CAN DO IT
Around the world - Single-handed - Non-stop - By the three great capes - With a unique format - Budget friendly - Starts in A Coruña 2023
Text and image courtesy of Global Solo Challenge