Denis VAN WEYNBERGH

Determined, passionate, creative, courageous, organized... Denis Van Weynbergh's qualities are those of a man who likes to undertake and he has proved it many times in his career.

After graduating from Sciences Po before training as a journalist, the Belgian, who speaks French, English and Dutch, did not hesitate to resume his studies at the age of 35 and then set up his own company, "PN Express Worldwide", a small business specializing in the distribution of express mail and parcels, both nationally in Belgium and internationally.

He knows that setting up a project means realizing a dream. Taking part in the mythical Vendée Globe, rightly called the Everest of the seas, is a difficult and demanding challenge, which involves personal life. However, Denis knows how to show determination, but also perseverance. No success has been achieved without failure, and if he was forced to throw in the towel during the last edition due to a lack of financial means, the Brabant sailor based in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, who has for a while been backing out, is getting ready to jump back in!

Denis has always been passionate about sailing and started as a sailing and cruising instructor at the UCPA, while working as a nautical journalist for Yachting Sud, a specialized French-speaking Belgian magazine. But very quickly, the competition dimension was added to his practice, and this is how he found himself at the start of the Mini Transat in 2001. After having reached Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) alone, without any modern means of communication, on a 6.50 meter boat, the navigator has continued to accumulate miles, especially in Class40, lining up at the start of the most prestigious races such as the Route du Rhum in 2010, the Transat Québec Saint-Malo in 2012, the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2013 or the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2015.

In 2021 and 2022, prestigious races such as the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Guyader Bermuda 1000 Race, and the Vendée Arctique have been added to his list of achievements and have allowed him to have more than 80,000 miles on the clock. He legitimately dreams of the Vendée Globe.

To be at the start will be a first victory, to be at the finish will be the second, but his passion opens the way for him.

In early 2023, he announced a two-year partnership with the D’Ieteren Group in preparation for the 2024 Vendée Globe. That same year, he confirmed his participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre alongside Gilles Buekenhout as co-skipper. He then went on to compete in the Retour à La Base, followed by the Transat CIC, which he finished in 24th place—securing his qualification for the Vendée Globe.

In November 2024, he set off on his first solo round-the-world race. It turned out to be a challenging adventure for Denis, marked by numerous technical issues: problems with the wind vane, a broken mainsail loop, and even a keel failure just days before the finish.

Due to the time lost making repeated repairs, Denis unfortunately did not manage to cross the finish line before it officially closed on Friday, March 7 at 8:00 a.m.

2013: Transat Jacques Vabre - 16th (Class40)
2012: Transat Québec - Saint Malo - 19th (Class40)
2011: Les Sables - Horta - Les Sables - 12th (Class40)
2011: Record SNSM - 8th (Class40)
2010: La Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale - 39th (Class40)
2009: Record SNSM - 9th (Class40)
2001: Mini Transat