Global Solo Challenge: SolarWind 34', De Keyser's “radiant” boat for the adventure
by Margherita Pelaschier 9 Aug 2023 13:44 BST
SolarWind, Édouard De Keyser © Édouard De Keyser
Making a solo sailing voyage around the world has always been the childhood dream of Édouard De Keyser, a dream that took shape when he was seven years old, spending his holidays in Brittany and sailing for two months.
"My parents were separated, but both came to France. I spent all my holidays there. Sailing for me was an unparalleled freedom: having your feet in the water, being pushed by the wind, meeting other sailors, for two months a year. Back then, there were the Whitbread, Tabarly, and many great navigators. I was fascinated by this world. When I started university, I had a bit of freedom and I threw myself into offshore racing, participating for example in the Mini Transat, Fastnet, and others. I immersed myself completely."
When Édouard learned of the launch of the Global Solo Challenge (GSC), he began searching for a boat to enter with. He discovered the 34-foot boat, made of wood and epoxy resin, which had been built by Jacques Riguidel. Riguidel, after making a solo trip around the world, had the ambition to repeat the feat, but in the opposite direction to the prevailing winds. Unfortunately, he was unable to realize this dream due to severe back problems. In 2022, the boat was in Nieuport, Belgium, in the hands of a Belgian named André Robberecht who had re-acquired it with the intention of making a solo trip around the world. But, at 77, he felt he was too old for such an enterprise. "In a week, I saw the boat, I met André, and I bought it...", De Keyser recounts.
SolarWind 34', a prototype designed by French naval architect David Reard, known for designing a series of cruising boats called Bepox and a fan of kitesurfing, won Édouard's heart at first sight. Riguidel had commissioned Reard to design this boat, which for Édouard "is perfect to participate in the Global Solo Challenge."
The naval architect chose wood and epoxy resin as construction materials, developing a technique where pieces of wood are joined using an epoxy glue, adjusted in consistency according to the desired resistance, to join the various parts of the hull. Wood, a material that has fascinated Édouard since the early '90s, evokes the time when he built a Pram' using the same technique. The Pram' is a type of boat designed by naval architect Youri Guedj (BOW studio) to sail small seas and inland waterways, dedicated to nautical hiking and single-handed one-design racing. "I've always dreamed of a wooden boat. When I saw this boat, I was struck by the solidity and reliability of its construction. Its shapes remind me of the Minis from the late '90s - early 2000s, characterized by ingenious and marine solutions. With a deep draft, a heavy bulb, a bowsprit, and a hull not excessively wide that, however, widens harmoniously towards the stern, I immediately thought that with SolarWind I could fulfill my dream of going around the world."
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