The sailboat of Szabolcs Weöres, which is preparing for the Vendée Globe, has been aptly given the name New Europe. The christening ceremony took place in Les Sables d’Olonne, from where the solo circumnavigation race will start next year.
The boat was traditionally christened with champagne in the French port. It owes its name to the support of the MOL - New Europe Foundation, which made Erika Miklósa, the Chairperson of MOL New Europe Foundation the “godmother” of the boat.
In her speech, Erika Miklósa, Kossuth Prize-winning opera singer and Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the MOL-New Europe Foundation, said “The Vendée Globe is the world’s toughest sailing race, also known as the ‘journey of extremes’. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual challenge of cooperation with nature in this oceanic competition. It is an incessant and solitary struggle with internal and external storms over 45,000 kilometres. This is what awaits Szabolcs Weöres next year, who has Nándor Fa as his mentor. Szabolcs will circumnavigate the globe representing Hungary on the New Europe - with the support of the MOL New Europe Foundation. Even the preparation itself will be a huge test of strength in the various lead-up races. Fair winds, Szabolcs, on board of the New Europe! The whole country will cheer for you and sail with you!”
“Nándor Fa and Szabolcs Weöres are outstanding and excellent athletes, and we have every reason to be proud of them. However, Nándor and Szabolcs not only have a ‘working relationship’ but also a mentor-mentee bond. Nándor Fa supports Szabolcs during his preparation and will be his co-helmsman in the 50th Rolex Fastnet sailing race, which starts on July 22.
We owe our thanks and gratitude to these two exceptional sportsmen, who with their perseverance, determination, and sacrifice, enhance the reputation of Hungary and Székesfehérvár in such a special sport at international level!” expressed Vargha Tamás, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, at the boat christening.
The IMOCA 60 sailboat was built in New Zealand in 2007 and has already circumnavigated the globe several times. Due to significant advancements in the class in recent years, Szabolcs Weöres decided after successfully completing last year’s Route du Rhum, which served as a qualifying race, that the boat required modifications. This took place in Santander, Spain, starting from January, where the boat was completely disassembled and inspected. Along with servicing the keel’s hydraulics and replacing the electrical equipment, the most notable change was the design of the cabin roof. In the latest generation of IMOCA sailboats, the sailors can control the boat from a covered cockpit, and after this renovation, Szabolcs is able to sail the New Europe the same way.
“During the renovation of the boat, we also came up with a lot of innovations, and all in all, these changes and modifications will be reflected in the speed,” said Szabolcs Weöres.
The first major challenge for the New Europe will be the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race, which begins on July 22. Szabolcs will participate in the race with his mentor, Nándor Fa. It is one of the most prestigious offshore sailing competitions, starting from Cowes, England, the boats will navigate around the Fastnet Rock, a lighthouse located in the Atlantic Ocean, before reaching the finish line in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France.
Nándor Fa was the first and only Hungarian sailor to compete in the Vendée Globe, where his best result was in the 1992-93 edition, when he finished fifth as the best non-Frenchman. The five-time circumnavigator, who has crossed the Atlantic seven times and circumnavigated Cape Horn five times, said at the inauguration:
“I am more than happy with Szabi’s decision to join the IMOCA class race circuit, including the most difficult competition, the next Vendée Globe. We’ve sailed a trans-oceanic race together before, so there’s no question in my mind that his skills are up to the task. I feel good about helping him, we can discuss all the relevant questions about the boat and how to sail it. It’s an unexpected gesture from him that I can now race with him in the Rolex Fastnet, which is also a good opportunity to test the new boat in live conditions.”
Szabolcs Weöres, following in the footsteps of Nándor Fa, will be the second Hungarian to compete in the Vendée Globe, also known as the Everest of sailing, the world’s most difficult sporting event, where participants must sail around the world solo, non-stop and without assistance The project is also supported by Szerencsejáték Zrt, MVM, GreenGo and MBH Bank.
