Philippe Jeantot
Encyclopedia
Philippe Jeantot is a French
former deep sea diver, who achieved recognition as a sailor
for long-distance, single-handed
racing and record-setting. He founded the Vendée Globe
, a single-handed, round-the-world, non-stop yacht race
.
's book The Long Way; having learned to sail, he built himself a 13.5-metre (44 ft) steel ketch
, planning to sail single-handed
around the world. After cruising for two years, he entered the first edition of the BOC Challenge
(now known as the VELUX 5 Oceans Race) in 1982; he won the race, and broke the previous record for a single-handed circumnavigation
with a time of 159 days, 2 hours.
In 1984, Jeantot entered the OSTAR
, sailing in a new catamaran, Credit Agricole II. He was forced to retire after a capsize, but saved the boat and entered the 1984 Quebec
—St. Malo race, in which he set a new 24-hour speed record. In 1985, he had success in the Grand Prix de Brest, La Baule and Round Europe races. In 1986 he again entered the BOC Challenge, sailing Credit Agricole III, and was again victorious.
In 1989, Jeantot founded a new, single-handed, non-stop, round-the-world race, the Vendée Globe
. He entered the race in Crédit Agricole IV, and finished in fourth place.
In 1990, Jeantot once again entered the BOC Challenge, sailing Crédit Agricole IV, and finishing in third place, thus completing his fourth solo circumnavigation of the world. After the race, he announced that he was retiring from sailing to manage his boat-building business.
In November 1990, Jeantot was given a suspended two-year sentence and fined €15,000 (£9,900) for tax evasion. Jeantot appealed but the verdict was upheld.
In 2006 Jeantot was charged with financial irregularities which alleged avoidance of corporation tax by his SailCom company, forgery and the abuse of the 'company assets'. Forensic accountancy allegedly found that in excess of €1 million (£660,000) passed through an Irish account rather than SailCom's bank in France. SailCom was set up by Jeantot to run long distance competitive sailing races.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
former deep sea diver, who achieved recognition as a sailor
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
for long-distance, single-handed
Single-handed sailing
The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....
racing and record-setting. He founded the Vendée Globe
Vendée Globe
The Vendée Globe is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance. The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, and since 1992 has taken place every four years....
, a single-handed, round-the-world, non-stop yacht race
Yacht racing
Yacht racing is the sport of competitive yachting.While sailing groups organize the most active and popular competitive yachting, other boating events are also held world-wide: speed motorboat racing; competitive canoeing, kayaking, and rowing; model yachting; and navigational contests Yacht racing...
.
Biography
Philippe Jeantot started his career as a deep sea diver, working on oil rigs; at one time he jointly held the record for deep diving, at 501 metres (1,644 ft). He became interested in sailing after reading Bernard MoitessierBernard Moitessier
Bernard Moitessier was a renowned French yachtsman and author of books about his voyages and sailing....
's book The Long Way; having learned to sail, he built himself a 13.5-metre (44 ft) steel ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
, planning to sail single-handed
Single-handed sailing
The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....
around the world. After cruising for two years, he entered the first edition of the BOC Challenge
VELUX 5 Oceans Race
The VELUX 5 OCEANS Race is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed in stages, managed by Clipper Ventures Plc since 2000. Its current name comes from its main sponsor, VELUX, a Danish company. Originally known as the BOC Challenge, for the title sponsor BOC Gases, the first edition was...
(now known as the VELUX 5 Oceans Race) in 1982; he won the race, and broke the previous record for a single-handed circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
with a time of 159 days, 2 hours.
In 1984, Jeantot entered the OSTAR
Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or STAR, is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth to the USA, and is held every four years....
, sailing in a new catamaran, Credit Agricole II. He was forced to retire after a capsize, but saved the boat and entered the 1984 Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
—St. Malo race, in which he set a new 24-hour speed record. In 1985, he had success in the Grand Prix de Brest, La Baule and Round Europe races. In 1986 he again entered the BOC Challenge, sailing Credit Agricole III, and was again victorious.
In 1989, Jeantot founded a new, single-handed, non-stop, round-the-world race, the Vendée Globe
Vendée Globe
The Vendée Globe is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance. The race was founded by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, and since 1992 has taken place every four years....
. He entered the race in Crédit Agricole IV, and finished in fourth place.
In 1990, Jeantot once again entered the BOC Challenge, sailing Crédit Agricole IV, and finishing in third place, thus completing his fourth solo circumnavigation of the world. After the race, he announced that he was retiring from sailing to manage his boat-building business.
In November 1990, Jeantot was given a suspended two-year sentence and fined €15,000 (£9,900) for tax evasion. Jeantot appealed but the verdict was upheld.
In 2006 Jeantot was charged with financial irregularities which alleged avoidance of corporation tax by his SailCom company, forgery and the abuse of the 'company assets'. Forensic accountancy allegedly found that in excess of €1 million (£660,000) passed through an Irish account rather than SailCom's bank in France. SailCom was set up by Jeantot to run long distance competitive sailing races.