The microsailing scene may be very small, but it is surprisingly diverse. Dogged record hunters meet tinkerers and romantics who long for the greatest possible independence. We introduce the three sailing enthusiasts and the status of their projects.
Read also:
Yann Quenet sets standards
All his life, Yann Quenet has dreamed of sailing around the world. When he turns fifty, he decides to realise his dream. He quits his job and builds his own micro yacht out of plywood, just four metres long, in which he finally sets sail.
This first circumnavigation by Yann Quenet went down in history. Never before had anyone circumnavigated the globe in such a tiny plywood boat. The Frenchman travelled at a snail's pace for three years in his "Baluchon", with his longest non-stop leg lasting 77 days. Without rainwater, he would have died of thirst.
The oddball masters hardships with humour and the ability to suffer. The main thing is freedom!
But what does a hopeless sailing romantic do after being washed ashore again? He gives interviews, falls into an emotional hole and finally writes a book to preserve his experiences for eternity.
At the latest when writing, when the boundless freedom becomes tangible again, the carousel of thoughts begins to spin faster and faster around the one question: Which path leads back to the ocean, back to adventure, back to perfect bliss?
The emotional hole
It's not easy for the Breton original, who lives in rather modest circumstances. Building a new boat to launch a new project with media impact? No money, he has used up all his savings. The royalties from his book are barely enough to survive.
A temporary position to save money? Illusory. Your CV is too full of holes and you say you lack qualifications and discipline.
A sponsor? No, he's not the type to convince sponsors. And he would also find the advertising lettering on the hull or sails strange.
Sell the "Baluchon"? Absolutely not! You don't sell a beloved friend. What's more, it would not only be an emotional loss, but also just a drop in the ocean from a financial point of view.
Day by day, his ideas become fuzzier, a feeling of sadness and heaviness settles on his soul. Even the best performance of his circumnavigation proves to be a burden. Focussing on new records clouds his vision.
The spirit of adventure returns
One morning, a ray of sunlight falls through the workshop window onto his companion. Not only do the dust particles dance in the golden light, but Quenet's heart leaps for joy. For the first time in months, he strokes his boat lovingly.
They had travelled 30,000 nautical miles together. Overcoming storms and doldrums, discovering new shores. "Baluchon" had mastered everything with flying colours, without any breakages or nasty surprises.
I had already built the perfect boat."
He wasn't interested in setting new records. "I just wanted to get back to sea as quickly as possible. Anything else would have been foolish!", said the Frenchman.
Problems and doubts suddenly dissolve and the spirit is back. However, a few modifications still need to be made before the lovebirds are returned to their element.
What bothered the minimalist the most was the keel: "I had decided on a small boat to avoid the problems of large boats and to gain maximum autonomy. This also means that I can easily lift it out of the water without a crane. I also hate asking others for help and take great pleasure in being able to wriggle out of any situation on my own. That's why I replaced the existing keel with two 100-kilo lifting keels."
Quenet sets sail again
In June 2024, the time has come again. Yann Quenet sets sail again.
He has now arrived in Martinique. He demonstrates his penchant for independence again as soon as he docks in the harbour of Le Marin in Martinique. He stubbornly moves his pocket cruiser towards the dinghy jetty with a wrig strap and refuses any help from marineros and sailors who want to take him in tow.
After 27 days of radio silence on the way from Cape Verde to Martinique, we reach a happy Yann Quenet on the phone.
"The crossing was unspectacular and I had plenty of time to read, draw and daydream. There was no breakage on the boat, which has been performing better and better since I left Brittany last June. Now the first thing I'm going to do is get myself a fruit juice and a good cheese. "
"Then I'll wait until spring to sail from here to the east coast of Canada."
There I buy an old car, put my boat on the roof and drive to the Pacific Ocean, where I set sail again."
