"Once you've started something, you have to finish it." That's what Pieter Heerema said before the Vendée start - and he acted on it. After 116 days, 9 hours, 24 minutes and 12 seconds at sea, the Dutchman had already brought his boat with the telling name "no way back" across the finish line on Thursday evening. Today, the 65-year-old is being celebrated in the start and finish harbour of Les Sables d'Olonne. The Dutchman completed the eighth edition of the solo race around the world over 29,747 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.65 knots and came 17th in the fleet of 29 skippers who started the race around the globe in November.
Heerema had lost many miles right at the start of the Vendée when he had technical problems with the main halyard lock and a rudder blade that kept folding up. He also suffered from severe back pain for several days. By the time he got the situation under control again, he had dropped back to 25th place in his new foiling boat. Accompanied by further technical problems, a repeatedly failing autopilot and other setbacks, his boat was only performing at 60 per cent of its potential, Heerema wrote at around the halfway point.
The fact that Heerema was one of the nine "rookies", one of the first participants, does not necessarily suggest his age. As a long-time Vendée fan, the businessman and ambitious amateur sailor was inspired to take part himself when he met French sailing legend Michel Desjoyeaux during a kite regatta in spring 2015. Heerema, who was born in South America and moved to Holland at the age of eleven, then began to focus on solo sailing and train intensively. Nevertheless, the former 470, Yngling, J22 and J24 sailor entered the race with comparatively little single-handed experience.
For his premiere, he took over a VPLP Verdier boat originally built for the Italian Andrea Mura at the Persico shipyard, trained with Desjoyeaux and Mer Agité and prepared with two Atlantic crossings. Heerema explained his motivation before the start: "I like long distances, fishing and barbecuing what I've caught. I don't like to spend my holidays in hotels. I like the simple life and I also love being at sea." The not-so-young Vendée aspirant realised: "I have a long way to go. I know I'm no longer a spring chicken. But let me make one thing clear: The placing I can achieve at the Vendée Globe is not that important to me. My challenge is to finish the journey and complete the whole course around the world on my own." He has succeeded. He is also being celebrated for this in his home country!
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
