Vendée Globe
Jingkun Xu is sailing, after 60 days of racing, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in 32nd position, fighting with Antoine Cornic and Oliver Heer. A hell of a performance for this thirty-year-old born far from the sea, in a family of farmers on the heights of Qingdao, and whose life did not predestine him at all for ocean racing.
“What he accomplished is enormous,” says race director Hubert Lemonnier, who speaks Mandarin and has many contacts with him. Jingkun Xu did not have an easy preparation in Port-La-Forêt: he was a bit alone in the world. He didn’t have a sponsor because selling a Vendée Globe project in China… “The guys look at you and ask you what you’re talking about. And he managed to find a little money, take the start and not sail too badly… It’s beautiful! »
Will, determination, perseverance
It’s all the more beautiful as he is the second disabled skipper to complete this solo round-the-world trip, after Damien Seguin. At age 12, an accident involving fireworks left him missing his left forearm, which had to be amputated. Very determined, he decides that this handicap will not be a constraint but that it is the first day of the rest of his life. He introduced himself to the Chinese Paralympic team which offered him sailing, cycling and running. He chose sailing and, almost 20 years later, here he is on a solo, non-stop world tour. To make his dream come true, he set down his bags in Brittany where with a small team “almost only volunteers” and well-intentioned people like Maurice Uguen, former accomplice of Philippe Poupon, and a few others, he set up his project.
“This is my first participation in the Vendée Globe and everything is going well. It’s difficult because it’s the most demanding solo race in the world. I’m learning, gaining experience, while trying to make the most of this race and share it with as many people as possible. So far, everything has exceeded my expectations, and I am happy with my current position and performance. In the future, if I have another opportunity to participate, we can do even better.”
Courageous, he certainly is. His happiness on board shines through. However, as Hubert Lemonnier tells us, he came a long way. He who met him during the selections for the Ocean Race with Charles Caudrelier: “He was rather very determined, not one of the best technically because there were a lot of sailors who came from the Olympics. But it took someone who was tough on evil. And he proved his will by his sporting results in the selections and his handicap. He wasn’t kept but he had his Vendée Globe dream in mind and he didn’t give up. He came knocking on the door of Imoca and managed to buy Alan Roura’s boat. “He came from very, very far away because technically and sportingly, he was not up to the level. He formed himself in his own corner.”
“He didn’t have the level and in this Vendée Globe, he progressed”
He based himself in Port-La-Forêt where, with his wife Sofia, also his team manager, they sometimes slept in the boat. He never gave up: “He wasn’t in the qualifying range at the start. By hanging on, he got a few sponsors for the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. He did a good Route du Rhum (29th) which allowed him to qualify. That’s what saved him. He was always in the last but on time 150% of the time of the first. Finally, he was in the nails: Le Retour à La Base (31st), New York Vendée Les Sables (26th)”, continues Lemonnier, who is really amazed by his race: “The big surprise is that on the Vendée , it is a little better than its usual place. Since Good Hope, he must have understood things. He made progress, he left in the strong wind. He went to the South, he was not afraid to face the depressions of the Indian. It’s not bad at all what he does. Sportingly speaking, he progressed on this world tour unlike others.”
Injured in his only good hand, he does not complain and continues to maneuver and tinker: “When we talk about resilience in the Vendée, for me, he is the champion. He is still limited since in addition to his handicap, he injured his hand: he is a warrior! »
In China, he has fans and especially friends who support him and that does him good, he who suffers a little from loneliness: “On board, the main difficulty is to find a balance: how to balance speed and stability , how to manage your emotions and your state. Man and equipment resemble batteries, we must find a happy medium between maximum discharge and preservation of autonomy,” he explains from the middle of the ocean. And in his happy new year message, he insisted: “I miss you so much. 2024 is behind us. This year full of emotions and challenges. It was exceptional: we managed to start the Vendée Globe, achieving our objective! This year has also been marked by difficulties. We have shed a lot of sweat, endured injuries and experienced many moments of despair. But it is all these moments of despair, all these difficulties which paved the way towards our dreams.”
letelegramme Fr Trans