He has shown remarkable resilience and fortitude most recently in the face of problems with his mainsail halyard which have meant he has had to sail with no mainsail at all or with two or three reefs for the final 12 days. His Vendée Globe was a lifelong dream as a sailor and it proved a real test of character for him, where each challenge he took on confirmed his determination
His quest to do the Vendée Globe began in earnest in 2018, when, as an SME boss and sailing instructor he bought an IMOCA, Nandor Fa’s former Spirit of Hungary. But faced with a lack of funding he had to temporarily put his project on hold. Refusing to give up, he rethought his plan in 2020 by adopting an innovative and collective approach, focusing on reusing and repurposing equipment. This bold choice meant a collaborative initiative and all the way through his build up he was supported by a team of volunteers.
From 2021 he built his experience on the IMOCA circuit looking to accumulate qualification miles and refine his technique. Each race and each training passage allowed him to build a solid experience on top of his miles he had accumulated some 20 years earlier racing on the Mini 650 circuit and then Class40.
With this solid preparation he made the start of the Vendée Globe and then overcame the successive challenges which came his way. Charismatic and determined to share his adventure as much as possible he was always happy to be out ticking off the oceans and the round the world landmarks, albeit at a safe, prudent, steady pace. He dealt with the malfunctions of his wind vane and electronic problems showing great determination and tenacity, all the time underlining his desire to complete the course.
Latterly his problems and setbacks have accumulated to take him deep into his mental and physical reserves, not least realising he would miss the race time limit. As well as his mainsail problems which required him to spend long periods sailing only under headsail, he suffered a keel ram issue eight days before he arrived back in Les Sables d’Olonne.
But in the end it is Denis Van Weynbergh's inner strength and his fighting spirit that have left their mark. His adventure offered an inspiring lesson to all in how perseverance and optimism can win out in the end and his personal achievement is no less for having missed the finish time limit.
