He is one of the curiosities of the fleet: Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou), the first Chinese skipper to attempt to complete the Vendée Globe. He sang for New Year’s Eve on December 31. On January 4, he ate his last fresh fruit on board, an apple which he bit into with relish.
And, each time, in front of the camera for moments that he wants to show in the image. “Every day, we share videos to allow everyone to discover daily life at sea and the state of mind of the race, precise for franceinfo Jingkun Xu, from the South Pacific where he is still located. We hope to allow more people to better understand what a race like the Vendée Globe is. At the same time, we are preparing a book, so that, in the future, more people can understand, through my story, the experience of the Vendée Globe and what such an adventure around the world entails.”
At 35 years old, this sailing instructor is widely followed in his country. And that was one of his objectives when he showed up at the starting line in Sables-d’Olonne on November 10. “I received many messages from people in Chinacontinues Jingkun Xu, whose left hand has been amputated since an accident he had at the age of 12. Every day I receive a lot of comments from them. They follow my race closely and are very inspired by it, there is no doubt about it.“
With its well-stocked armada of foreign competitors, the Vendée Globe has become more than ever a race with international resonance. Reports are broadcast in the United States, Japan, Switzerland (which has three sailors, including the first woman in the ranking, Justine Mettraux) and Italy.
But also in Belgium, country of origin of Denis Van Weynbergh, currently last in the fleet and who still has a long way to go. “In Belgium, we are 12 light years behind in terms of the interest in ocean racing compared to you French, smiles Thierry Wilmotte, sports journalist for the daily The evening and who came to Les Sables-d’Olonne before the departure of this 10th edition. There was a little more coverage because we kept a presentation of the Vendée Globe in the broad sense and we focused on Denis and inevitably, we talked about him a little more.”
“As soon as there is this adventurous side of the Vendée Globe, we manage to capture the public’s attention.”
Thierry Wilmotteat franceinfo
This growing media coverage is a boon for the Vendée Globe, long considered, like other offshore races, to be too Franco-French events. “We have very good follow-up in the countries represented in the fleet, we explain from the side of the organization of the world tour. We did not seek to make figures but rather we work to have quality in the reports. In a few days, the Washington Post will publish a report on the race and it is a very good move for us in terms of visibility.“
But the Vendée Globe’s impact abroad is not only measured by the number of articles or appearances on radio or television. “Denis Van Weynbergh will have a role to play, wants to believe the Belgian journalist Thierry Wilmotte. Before leaving, he visited many classes and schools, especially in the Brussels region. This is one of the big issues of this race. And maybe one day, we will have stories from Belgian skippers who will say : I followed Denis Van Weynbergh in 2024 and that’s what gave me the idea or the taste for doing this sport”
More non-French competitors, more countries represented in the fleet… but this year, like the others, there is one thing that will not change upon arrival : it is not a foreign competitor who will have his name on the Vendée Globe prize list.
